The Tribunal
by kerimack
Summary: COMPLETE As the leader of the Manchester Tribunal Kathryn controls all. That is until a new student arrives who will challenge her power. When a vicious battle begins who will come out on top? Please R&R!
1. The Princess, The Playboy, and The Saint

**The Tribunal**

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**Author: Kerimack**

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**Rating: R**

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**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from Cruel Intentions, I just borrow and manipulate them.**

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**Summary: As the leader of the Manchester Tribunal Kathryn controls all. That is until a new student arrives who will challenge her power. When a vicious battle begins who will come out on top? Please R&R!**

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**Authors Note: Like a lot of people I didn't like Cruel Intentions 2 but I did like the idea of the tribunal so I thought I'd write a story about it. This has nothing to do with that movie but I'm just taking that element from the film and applying it to the first Cruel Intentions.**

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**I wrote this a long time ago but never finished it. Since I didn't have time to write the next chapter of Who Are You until tomorrow, I posted this in the mean time. I'm not sure if I'm going to continue this story but let me know what you think, and maybe I will.**

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**Chapter 1: The Princess, The Playboy and A Saint**

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In one swift, beautiful motion the edge of the switchblade sliced into her pale skin, causing a delicate trail of crimson blood rushing down the small of her back. She winced and grit her teeth but showed little fear. Rule number one: fear is another sign of weakness and if you wanted to belong you had to follow the rules. 

Their rules. 

Jennifer Robert's stood in the center of the dark room, lit only by a few strategically placed candles, completely naked. In the darkness she could make out the forty or so masked figures, all wearing heavy brown cloaks, and pale, faceless masks. As she stood there being mutilated and humiliated no one made a move except the person behind her carving up her back. 

She tried to keep her face emotionless as the pain seared through her sixteen year old body. The first cut had been bad but the second much worse, and much more deep. Whoever was doing it to her was getting pleasure from it, she could tell. Luckily though it was only two cuts, two marks that made a T. 

Jennifer had been allowed to chose where she wanted to be branded and she'd chosen her shoulder. Others had gotten it done in more brazen places, she had even heard of one fearless girl who had it done on the inside of her thigh. She spread her legs for all to see and then led the blade mere inches from her cunt. Far too self conscious to do that Jen had picked her shoulder figuring it was hidden enough her parents wouldn't notice and visible enough that certain others would. Those rare few who knew what it stood for. It symbolized power. 

After biting down on her lip to keep from crying out, she knew the worst was over. Maybe. One of the hooded figures stepped forward and explained "you have completed almost all of the necessary tasks. Are you ready for the final step?" 

Jennifer nodded as she replied "yes." 

As soon as the word was out of her mouth a black mask was slipped over her eyes. Her nerves went on high alert but she tried to stay calm. She knew what was to be the final step of her initiation and she was all but ready. It was suppose to be a surprise but most everyone knew what would happen. Jennifer was to be led upstairs by a person of the leaders choosing. They would go into one of the large bedrooms where she would be defiled in all three orifices by either he or she. Jennifer was hoping it was a he. 

When she felt a rough and decidedly masculine hand slid into hers she breathed a sigh of relief. "You are to accompany Tyler upstairs and follow his every command. He will report to us afterwards and if he is pleased you will become one of us." 

"I understand" Jen answered. 

"Good, you may go" 

As Jennifer was led up the darkened stairs, the room waited to hear the click of the heavy bedroom door closing. When the familiar sound echoed through the large house the leader called out "lights!" 

The lights came on but no one dared removed there hood until instructed. As usual there leader went first, tossing off the white mask and then pulling back the heavy brown material that revealed her dark, lustrous hair. Keeping still with the sober tone of the evening so far she ordered "masks off." 

Slowly everyone around her pulled their white covering away revealing teenage perfection in it's many forms. An even mix of females and males surrounded her, all wearing nervous grins and smug smiles. They waited patiently for her to give the next command and she didn't disappoint. 

Taking a step forward she raised her hand into the air in one graceful and proud gesture. The room held its breath and waited for those sacred words to fall from her lips. When she was sure she had all of their attention, the corners of her lips turned upwards and Kathryn Merteuil announced "let the games begin!" 

****** 

"I had a really great time tonight Annette" Leo Sullivan whispered seductively into her ear as he brushed her blond locks aside. 

She gave him a nod that was more polite than enticing "yeah, so did I. The concert was really great." 

Leaning in even closer to her, as close as the cramped corders of his BMW would allow, Leo continued his subtle seduction of the young innocent. He gave out a light laugh as he let his hand casually brush her thigh. "You know it's funny, I didn't really think you would be into the Chili Peppers." 

"Oh?" Annette asked in surprise. "Well I guess there's just more to me than meets the eye." 

Leo grinned realizing this was the opening he had been looking for all night. As his hand cupped her cheek, his finger brushed gently against her lip and he teased "care to share any more deep, dark secrets with me?" 

Before she had a chance to reply he leaned forward and kissed her. Annette wasn't at all surprised by this even though it was her first date with Leo. She knew he was a nice guy, but he was a guy none the less and would in fact expect something from her at the end of the night. She wasn't above a good night kiss, but that's all he was going to get. 

However Leo wasn't quite aware of this limitation yet. The hand that had been resting on her knee was now sliding up her leg and under her skirt. Annette immediately grabbed his hand and pulled it away. Drawing back from him she gave him a smile showing she wasn't angry at him but she also wasn't about to give into him either. "I had fun tonight but I should be getting inside now." 

Trying his best to appear as a gentleman Leo gave her a smile but it didn't do much to mask his disappointment. "I understand, I'll call you. Maybe we can do this again some time." 

Annette nodded her head "that would be nice. Good night Leo." 

She got out of his fancy car and gave him a final wave before walking up the driveway to her house. As she did her mind replayed the events of the night. Annette had fun and she enjoyed Leo's company but she knew she wouldn't see him again because she knew the real reason he had asked her out. It was the same reason she always got asked out. They thought she didn't know but in truth she was a lot smarter than most of them. 

Her allure was simple, she was a virgin. At the prestigious prep school Manchester, where her father was the headmaster, virgin's were far and few in between. Annette's innocence was legendary most notably because a year ago she had published an article in Seventeen magazine about how she planned to remain a virgin until she married. This had sent tongues waging all over campus, with every known player coming out of the wood work, trying to get into her pants. 

She refused them all and not a single one ever got further than a kiss with her. Annette had never even been tempted to go all the way with a boy...except once. There had been one time, her freshman year before the article was published, with a special guy she thought she had fallen in love with but...she'd resisted even him. 

It was a year after the magazine article came out and there were still guys after her. The virginal headmasters daughter had, some joked, become the holly grail of Manchester Prep. However Annette ignored it all and went on a few casual dates when she wanted. She had one long term boyfriend, Trevor, but he had left at the beginning of the summer on a scholarship to Stanford. They decided to see other people but she missed him and was starting to realize there wasn't any other boy around who's company she even half enjoyed as much as his. 

With a defeated sigh she opened the front door of her modest tudor style home and started up the stairs when she noticed a light on in the living room. She ducked her head in and laughed when she found her father sitting on the couch surrounded by paper work. "Hey, daddy, waiting up?" 

He looked up at her and gave her a guilty smile "would I do that?" When she only laughed in response he gave her a shrug and asked "so how was your date? I take it Mr. Davis was a perfect gentleman." 

"Yes" she replied taking a seat across from him. "The concert was great but..." 

"He wasn't the guy for you, huh?" her father finished for her. "You still miss Trevor." 

It was a statement rather than a question but Annette answered it anyway "yeah I do. It's funny I didn't think I would miss him this much but I really do. He was a big part of my life." 

"Well cheer up pumpkin I'm sure you'll meet somebody soon. Hey maybe you'll even meet him this year, now that schools starting up again." 

"I guess" she shrugged not really feeling comforted by the idea. "So what are you looking at?" 

Mr. Hardgrove picked up a vinyl covered maroon book. "Oh I was just looking at some of the old year books from Manchester. There's an alumni dinner coming up next week and I'm just perusing some of the former students." 

Annette reached forward and took one of the books. She flipped through the worn black and white pages filled with kids from the seventies. Smiling faintly at the some of the hairdo's and styles, her eyes fell upon one particular group. The page was filled with the student council members all dressed in matching navy uniforms, the same they wore today. What caught her eye though was that on nearly every student pictures in as particular photo was a T shaped mark either on their leg or arm. "That's strange" she muttered. 

"What is dear?" 

She held out the book so he could take a look at it. "On each of them is a mark, a scar almost of a T. Why is that?" 

Her father stared at it, his brow wrinkled in concern before he revealed "that's the symbol of the Manchester tribunal." 

"What's that" 

"Well from what I've heard it was a secret society made up of Manchester students that started back in the forties. A group of kids got together and basically caused a lot of trouble. Since they came from mostly prominent families they never got blamed for anything they did and no one ever knew about the society until one of their members, a young girl, died. I believe it was a few years after this picture was taken." 

Sitting up in her chair Annette asked "well what happened?" 

"No one's really sure. The boy who was charged for her death claimed it was an accident but the girls parents insisted it was murder. Anyway when the young man went to jail the tribunal apparently disbanded and to my knowledge it never reformed. It's become sort of a folk tale among the faculty who insist it is still going on but that's nonsense. I'd think kids now a days have better things to do with there time then get together and destroy people's lives just for kicks." 

Taking the book back Annette sat back in her chair and stared at the T symbol deep in thought. "There's something familiar about that mark." 

Laughing good naturally her father told her "honey I assure you the tribunal is long gone. It died out thirty years ago." 

"I guess you're right" she told him closing the book but her mind still on the story. "I'm exhausted. I'm going to bed. Goodnight daddy, see you in the morning." 

"Night pumpkin" 

After giving him a kiss on the cheek she started to leave when it suddenly hit her. Annette had seen that mark on someone before. Noticing his daughters stricken face Hardgrove asked "Annette, what's wrong?" 

Turning back to him she almost told him but stopped herself. Instead she put on the same polite smile she used with Leo and told him "it's nothing, goodnight." 

****** 

Everything had gone just as planned and Kathryn couldn't be happier. Not that she had any doubts that the initiation ceremony would encounter any snags but it had been her first as the newly appointed leader of the tribunal so everything had to be perfect. Luckily it had and now their next soon to be member was upstairs getting the fucking of her life by a guy everyone had affectionately named 'the horse'. The poor girl wouldn't be able to sit down for a weak. 

Grinning deviously at the thought as she reclined back in her plush chair, Kathryn felt completely at home. Currently she was surrounded by the best and brightest her society had to offer, all in various states of undress, drinking, drugging and grinding to the latest coldplay album. They all had such promising futures and they all belonged to her. Each and every one of them would do anything she wanted. All Kathryn had to do was ask. The thought made her smile even more. 

She controlled them all...all except for him of course. 

Kathryn could feel his eyes on her even before she looked up. He had been staring at her ever since the lights came back on but she hadn't acknowledged it, it was part of the game they played. The game that unfortunately would come to an end tomorrow. 

Finally unable to hold back any longer she let her eyes look up and indeed she did find him. Leaning against one of the ledges of the upstairs balcony, that over looked the spacious living room of the Kensington's Connecticut home, he watched her. When at last her bright green eyes locked with his deep blue one's, the intense scowl he had been wearing turned into a knowing grin. They said nothing and did nothing but admire each other for a brief moment. 

Not for the first time Kathryn marveled at how gorgeous he was with those eyes and serious pale face that contrasted so nicely to his dark hair. As usual that evening we wore black from head to toe but don't be miss lead, it was all designer. He might appear brooding and serious but he still valued trivial things like fashion just like the rest of them. However he was different from all those other boring rich boys and everyone knew it but more importantly respected it. Joshua Kensington was wanted and adored by all but he belonged to her. 

Her Joshua. 

After observing her for a moment Joshua began to descend the stairs, his eyes still locked with her. Kathryn didn't move to greet him but instead stayed perched on her thrown among her loyal subjects. Joshua didn't approach her but instead climbed on top of a chair directly opposite hers and called out to the crowd "hey, can I have your attention?" 

Almost immediately the room fell quiet and the music was turned down. When she observed how the room so easily became his Kathryn couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy. She may be their new leader but he still had control over them. However she hid her annoyance and instead, like all the others turned her attention to Joshua. 

"Thank you" he laughed with more than a slight trace of his British accent showing. "Well as you all know I will be leaving you tomorrow. However I would just like to say that I have enjoyed being your leader for these past two years and I will miss you all." 

The room erupted into a collected "aww", with a few calling out "we'll miss you Joshua!" 

"Settle down" he called out and crowd quickly obeyed. "Since I am departing it is time now to hand over the reigns to your new leader, Ms. Kathryn Merteuil. The first female in the history of the tribunal to be elected top council." 

Everyone cheered at this but Kathryn remained seated, barely reacting to the applause. Joshua laughed as he raised his glass and called out "a toast. To the most beautiful, conniving, and deceitful bitch I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. To Kathryn, long may she reign!" 

"Here, here!" 

Kathryn smiled before once again raising her hand into the air and with a careless wave, signaling the party to resume. When the music came back on and everyone went back to what they were doing, Joshua jumped off the chair and walked up to her. Kathryn stood up but waited for him to come to her. When he was standing mere inches from her he reached out and stroked her dark hair then kissed her forehead affectionately. "You were exquisite this evening" he whispered to her. 

Her eyes on his she replied "I know." 

With a cool smile Joshua slid his hand down her arm until it rested in her hand. Silently he led her upstairs just as he had three years ago on the night of her initiation into the tribunal. Joshua had been chosen to take her and it had been one hell of a night, for both of them. Just like that night he took her to the master bedroom and as he closed the door she immediately pulled off her black nightgown, leaving her only in black lace panties. 

He turned back to her and admired her appreciably before stepping closer and tracing his fingers lightly over her collar bone. His touch sent a shiver throughout her and Kathryn's whole body tensed in anticipation of what would happen next. Joshua seemed to eat her tension up as he did nothing but gently touch her for a long moment. Then suddenly he grabbed her making Kathryn shriek in surprise before he quieted her with his mouth. They kissed deeply with all the passion of two people in love. Maybe they were in love but neither was about to admit it. 

Not breaking from their kiss for even a moment they fell back into the plush four poster bed behind them. Once she was underneath him Joshua pinned her wrists to the bed and began to kiss his way down her supple body. "Mmmm" Kathryn moaned when his tongue flicked her nipples then made it's way down her stomach. 

When he reached her panties his eyes fell upon hers as he slowly tugged them off and laid them on the ground. With a wicked grin Kathryn spread her legs for him and Joshua slid between them. His hand caressed her damp mound as he looked from her to the 'T' sketched into her skin-on the inside of her thigh, mere inches from her cunt. Joshua chuckled softly as he traced his finger over it, "oh my love, I will miss you." 

Kathryn sighed at the sentiment and even though she felt the same way she didn't tell him. Instead she guided his head between her legs and whispered "then show me." 

****** 

Meanwhile in a spacious penthouse on the upper east side of Manhattan, Sebastian Valmont came up between a pair of legs. They belonged to Nina Barnelle, a thirty something former fashion model with the body of a twenty year old. Although her lover that evening was quite a bit younger than most of the men she took to bed, he was by far the best she'd ever had. After riding her to two delicious climax's Sebastian slid back down her body and proceeded to eat her out until she let out a scream so loud he thought he might have hurt her. 

On the contrary, as Nina's head fell back on plump pillows she was feeling better than she had in years. "Oh Sebastian" she moaned empathetically. 

With a sly grin he climbed back up her body and rested beside her. "Did you enjoy that?" he asked even though he already knew the answer." 

She laughed "you know I did." Looking back into his handsome face a realization seemed to suddenly dawn on her. 

"Something wrong?" 

Nina shook her head as her hand ran through her chestnut colored hair. "I shouldn't have done this" she sighed. "God what are you, nineteen?" 

"Eighteen, actually. Don't worry I'm no longer jail bait." 

"I'm still too old for you" she argued. 

"Nonsense" Sebastian assured her as his fingertips danced over her breasts. "I find women are like a fine wine, they only get better with age." 

She couldn't help but laugh at this, "oh and have you gone to bed with many older women?" 

"A few" he reveled with a mysterious smile. "In Europe age isn't really a big deal. It's more about the passion between two people rather than what number is on their drivers license." 

Feeling a sense of calm rush over her, Nina forgot about being in bed with a kid and moved closer to him, eager to learn more about him. "Is that where you're from, Europe?" 

His blue eyes looked past her as he explained "I'm not really from anywhere." 

"Must be nice" she sighed. 

"It has it's moments." Drawing her lithe body back to his Sebastian kissed her hard on the mouth before pulling her down on top of him. Breaking away from him she grinned, then got up and straddled him. Gripping her hips and leading her to his quickly stiffening cock he whispered "show me what you got." 

Just as Nina was leading him inside of her once again, the bedroom doors behind them were thrown open and Edward Valmont came charging into the room. His usual pleasant face wrinkled in anger as he yelled out "Nina!" 

She whipped around at the sound of her name and gasped "Edward!" Quickly scurrying to cover herself up she desperately pleaded to him "this isn't what...what you think." 

Edward looked past her to the grinning boy in his bed and snarled "actually I believe it's exactly what I think, isn't it Sebastian?" 

As she hurriedly slid on her skirt she glanced at him confused "you two know each other?" 

"You could say that" Sebastian replied with a smirk. "How are you dad? Long time no see." 

Immediately Nina stopped in her tracks and gapped at them "you're his son?" 

"I'm guessing he didn't bother to inform you of that fact before you hopped into bed?" Edward grumbled 

"No! God no, I met him at a club. I had no idea! You never told me your sons name. Oh my god, I just slept with my soon to be step son!" 

Sebastian burst out laughing at this, "guess so mom." 

Backing away from the bed in horror Nina looked between Edward and Sebastian quickly before running past her fiancee out of the room. Sitting up Sebastian grabbed for his robe as he muttered "was is something I said?" 

His fathers eyes seem to blaze with fury as he demanded "are you satisfied now?" 

"Well to tell you the truth not really" he sighed climbing on the bed. "You sort of interrupted us." 

In a flash Edward was in front of his son. Before Sebastian could even blink his father pushed him up against the wall and hit him in the gut. As his son bent over in pain he growled "any other comments smart ass?' 

"Give me a minute and I'm sure I can think one up." 

Forcing Sebastian's head up so he could look at him Edward told him "don't for a minute think I don't know why you did it, because believe me I do and it won't work." 

"Oh?" 

"You seduced Nina and made sure I walked in on it because you think if you screw up enough I'll send you back to Europe with your mother but it's not going to happen. You were too much for her to handle so it's my turn now and I'm telling you from here on there will be no more stunts like this, understand?" 

He snickered "do I have any other choice?" 

"No as a matter of fact you don't. I mean it Sebastian, you fuck up again and next time it's military school." Going back to his usual easy going manor, Edward fixed his tie all business like and informed him "you'll start Manchester Prep on Monday, so be prepared." 

Without another word he turned on his heels and strut out of the bedroom closing the door behind him. When at last alone Sebastian moved away from the wall clutching his stomach. His father usually wasn't violent but he supposed he'd pushed him too far this time. For a brief moment Sebastian regretted what he had done but then quickly pushed the feeling aside as he remembered his motto: no regrets, no apologies. 

Besides it was his fathers own fault. If he had just handed him over his trust fund and let him live his own life instead of forcing him to come and stay with him in New York, he wouldn't have to resort to such childish antics. Sebastian was after all eighteen and it wasn't like he had ever been particularly close with either of his parents. When his he brought his fact up to his father he just muttered something about family legacy and obligation before Sebastian tuned him out. 

Falling back into his bed he reached for the cigarettes on his night side table. As he lit one up he thought about his new home. Sebastian was actually fond of New York and living on the East coast was far better than the West coast. However having to attend another god damn private school was another matter entirely. How the hell was he going to get through a whole year without causing any trouble? The simple answer to that was he wouldn't. 

Puffing away on his cig he mused, Manchester prep. I wonder what the chicks are like? Shaking his head Sebastian grumbled bitterly "probably just a bunch of frigid debutantes." 

****** 

"Ohhhhhhhh fuck, yes Joshua!" Kathryn moaned as she slammed her body back against his. "Harder, fuck me harderrrrrrrrr!" 

The last word was followed by a deep moan as her orgasm started to barrel through her. Joshua who was thrusting into her from behind gripped her waist tighter, as he felt his own cum approaching. "Just a...little more Katie...almost...oh God almost..." He erupted inside of her before he could get the sentence out. 

After one last shallow thrust he collapsed on top of Kathryn and the two crumbled to the bed laughing intimately. Letting his arm drape across her bare back Joshua sighed contentedly "I will miss you Katie." 

Kathryn use to hate when he called her that and even ordered him not to but he didn't listen. Over time however she'd grown to love hearing him refer to her that way, almost as much as she loved the look on his face when he said it. Joshua was the only person who called her Katie and the only person who ever would. 

They had been together now for almost two years. Although they dated publicly they had an unspoken open relationship. Whenever the mood suited her Kathryn would go to bed with someone else as did Joshua. There had also been a few occasions where they had threesomes. However they were never jealous of each others lovers because they knew deep down that they loved one another. It was never said of course because they both claimed not to believe in the existence of love. Still Kathryn knew what she felt for Joshua was love and sometimes, when she was laying in his bed wrapped in his arms she was tempted to tell him she loved him, but she never did. She never would. 

Knowing he would be leaving her tomorrow she had briefly flirted with the idea of making a romantic declaration but quickly put the idea out of her head. If anything she should be considering pulling back from him. Even though Joshua claimed to want to marry her some day she wasn't really holding any stock in it. He would meet someone else at Yale, she just knew it. 

Frowning at the thought Kathryn turned away from him and said flippantly "I'm sure there will plenty of nice sorority girls to keep you company." 

"Probably" he chuckled as he pressed himself into her back. "But none of them could compare to you. You're one of a kind Kathryn." 

She cracked a smile "how true." 

Turning back around she pulled him down for a kiss and Joshua responded by wrapping her in his arms. As she melted into his kiss Kathryn wondered if she could ever feel this way in another man's arms. Sure she could enjoy sex with another guy but it was never like this. Joshua made her feel safe and loved. No one, including her own parents had ever made her feel like that before. 

Breaking away from her with a dissatisfied groan he told her "I have to take a shower, my flight is at six a.m." 

"All right" she sighed as she allowed him to get up from the bed. 

Joshua walked over to the desk and pulled out a cigarette from his pack. As he searched around for a lighter he asked her "so as tribunal leader, what will your first task be?" 

"Hmm" she mused out loud as she stretched her naked body out. "I was thinking I would take down the headmasters good goody daughter." 

Immediately Joshua turned around, his face suddenly serious. "No Kathryn you won't." 

Not at all surprised by his reaction Kathryn only raised her eyebrow and challenged "oh? I won't will I?" 

"You will leave Annette alone" he warned as he stood over her, his eyes flashing dangerously. 

Kathryn wasn't one to be intimidated, even by Joshua. Getting up on her knees she rose until they were at eye level. "In case it's escaped your attention darling you're not the leader anymore, I am and what I say goes. If I want your frigid little ex to be taken down a peg or two so be it." 

Grabbing her suddenly by the wrist he thrust her arm behind her back and whispered menacingly "it's still not too late for me to choose a new leader. If you don't promise to leave her be maybe I will." 

Not backing down at inch she hissed "fine, then I'll take her down on my own but I promise you it will be so much more messier that way." 

With a defeated sigh he let her go and then laughed "you know if I didn't know better I would think you were jealous of Annette." 

"And if I didn't know better I'd think you still loved her." 

"Don't be ridiculous, Annette and me were over a long time ago and I was never in love with her, but that doesn't mean I want anything bad to happen to her." Kneeling down Joshua cupped her face "just leave her alone. For me Katie, please?" 

Softening just for a moment she pretended to give him "all right, if that's what you want. I'll leave Annette alone." 

"Thank you" he stood up and kissed the top of her head affectionately. "Oh before I forget there's something I have to give you." 

Kathryn was expecting some sort of fare well gift so she was slightly disappointed when he pulled out a stack of manilla folders from his desk rather than a little blue Tiffany box. Handing them over to her he explained "here are the transcripts of the incoming students. You have to go through them and see if there's any worthy candidates for the tribunal." 

"Great" Kathryn pouted. 

"What you didn't think being leader was all fun and games did you? It shouldn't take long, trust me they're all probably losers anyway." 

As Joshua disappeared into the bathroom Kathryn got out of the bed and pulled his black shirt over her head. Sitting down at the oak finished desk her mind wasn't on the student files but rather Annette Hardgrove. God how she hated that prissy little bitch. Every idiot guy at Manchester lusted after her including Joshua even though he claimed other wise. Back when Annette was a freshman he dated her very briefly but broke up with her when she wouldn't fuck him. Oddly enough they had stayed friends through the years and Kathryn hated it. 

Now that Joshua was leaving she knew this was her perfect opportunity to destroy Annette. Thinking back to what she promised him she laughed "over my dead body baby." Annette was very much going down. 

Turning her attention back to the folders in front of her Kathryn began perusing them. The first five she looked at were all duds. Three of them were scholarship students and the other two were just atypical rich kids, nothing special. Then just as she was about to go back to bed she picked up the bottom file from the stack. "Sebastian Valmont" she said out loud. Knowing that Valmont was an important name in the business world she read through the transcript. What she read made her smile, "interesting." 

Over the course of three years Sebastian had been in and out of no less than eight private school's all throughout Europe. He had been kicked out of all of them for a variety of reasons, one of which was running a brothel out of the school basement. The few classes he did attend he got A's in but according to his attendance records his appearance in class was rare. Still he made a very interesting candidate. Rich, smart and trouble, all things the tribunal looked for. Circling his name with a bright red pen Kathryn said aloud "welcome to Manchester Prep Sebastian." 

- to be continued (Please Review) 


	2. Lead, Follow, or Get Out of My Way

**The Tribunal**

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**Summary: The first day at Manchester brings plenty of surprises and new introductions for Kathryn, Sebastian and Annette**

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**Authors Note: You might have noticed this chapter is much longer than normally. Since I plan this story to be somewhat long, with many intermingling story lines I planned to have longer chapters rather than have 20-30 chapters. Anyway someone asked in a review if this would be a light story. Not really thought it will have a lot of light elements, especially in the beginning. Look for there to be some dark turns towards the end. Enjoy! (oh Who Are You? will be updated tomm.)**

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**Chapter 2: Lead, Follow, of Get Out of My Way**

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****_'Are You A Slave To the Clique?_' 

Sebastian's eyes quickly scanned over the quiz that asked among other things, do you all wear the same berry-berry lip color on Fridays? Shaking his head he quickly flipped through the rest of the Seventeen magazine wondering if girls his age seriously read this bullshit. Actually the question that was really plaguing him was, why did the headmaster have a teenage girls magazine laying around his office? 

Glancing up from the periodical he studied headmaster Hardgrove who was standing behind his desk explaining to Sebastian and the four other matriculating students, why Manchester would be such a rewarding experience for them. Maybe his earlier assessment of the guy being a fag was wrong, he mused. Maybe he was just into little girls. Sebastian shook his head of the thought and then went back to his reading. 

They had been in the office for well over forty minutes but so far Sebastian hadn't listen to a word any one said. He didn't need to be introduced to another goddamn school, he knew the drill already. He tried to explain this to the elderly secretary, telling her to just give him his schedule so he could be on his way but she refused until he talked to the headmaster. So now here he was with these four losers: a foreign girl and her short brother, one fat kid and a girl he was pretty sure was a lesbian given the way she kept checking out the foreign chick. As they pulled their chairs up closer to hear Hardgrove speak, Sebastian hung out in the back of the room wearing the required navy blue school uniform and his favorite pair of sunglasses. 

At last he was about to set down his magazine when an heading, spelled out in bold pink letters caught his eye. 

_Why I Plan To Wait: A Teenage Manifesto. _

It wasn't that a virgin was all that interesting to Sebastian, on the contrary he preferred his women experienced and on occasion wild. However there was something familiar about the girl staring back at him. She was pretty in that all American girl sort of way so his first thought was he must have slept with her before, but no that wasn't it. 

Sitting up in his chair his eyes began to dart around the room. Sebastian scanned over the shelf of books to his left when he found it. Ah ha! Sitting next to the world encyclopedia's was the same picture of the girl staring back at him from the magazine. Quickly he reread the byline and there it was, Annette Hardgrove. 

"Oh fuck me" he snickered in astonishment. 

Sebastian's sudden outburst caused the headmaster to stop mid sentence and the students to look at him curiously. With a patient smile Hardgrove asked "is there something wrong Sebastian?" 

"No" he explained with a pleasant smile. "I'm just really excited about starting my classes at Manchester, sir!" 

The headmaster simply nodded and smiled before going back to his lecture. "Like I was saying about clubs and activities..." 

Once again Sebastian tuned him out as he focused his attention back on the article. He was looking for specific details but didn't find many. Annette was originally from Kansas, she moved to New York when she started high school because of her father's job, and she had one unnamed boyfriend who she since broke up with for not sharing the same views as her on abstinence until marriage. Shaking his head Sebastian couldn't believe his good fortune, the headmasters daughter was a prude and a perfect target. In another week she would be just another entry in his quickly expanding journal. 

"All right, I believe that's everything you need to know. Now if you'll please go and find your guides, they'll help you find your way around the school and to your classes" the headmaster explained. "Good luck and if you have any problems please feel free to contact me." 

Tossing the magazine back on the table where he found it, Sebastian got to his feet and started to file out with all the other students. However before he got to the door he felt a hand on his arm, "Sebastian could I talk to you a minute?" 

He wanted to tell the older man to get his damn hands off of him but instead he forced a pleasant smile on his face, pulled his sunglasses off and turned around. "Is something wrong headmaster Hardgrove?" 

"I wouldn't say there's anything wrong" he explained as he closed the door and stood in front of it. "Not yet anyway. The thing is Sebastian I have been looking over your academic file and frankly it worries me." 

I'll bet it does, Sebastian thought to himself. Thinking back over the years he realized he had pulled a few stunts in his time, enough in fact to get him booted out of school all over Europe. Although he was quite proud of his reputation he didn't think Hardgrove would be impressed so once again Sebastian pretended to be pleasant. "I know it looks bad but honestly most of that stuff wasn't my fault. The truth of the matter is I was involved with a bad crowd who often led me on the wrong path. However I have now seen the error of my ways and really want to make a fresh start here at Manchester." 

"I hope you mean that son" 

"Oh I do, I really do" Sebastian exclaimed as he thought about the look of Hardgroves face when he found out how he popped his innocent daughters cheery. It would make all this ass kissing worth it in the end. "Sir, I promise I will do my best to make up for all my terrible mistakes and become the best Manchester student I can be." 

Judging by the look the headmaster gave him Sebastian wasn't really sure if he believed him. Either way it didn't matter because he soon dismissed him, "okay Sebastian, I'm glad to hear it. Now why don't you go join Tony, he'll be your guide and help you find your way around campus." 

"Thank you headmaster!" Sebastian exclaimed as gave him an enthusiastic salute. Turning back around he scowled and muttered "bitch." 

As soon as he left the office he spotted Tony, a tall blond studious type reading the student activities board. Sebastian was about to approach him when he spotted someone much more desirable talking with the secretary. Breezing past Tony who turned to introduce himself as he passed, he came up behind the attractive blond "hey, are you Annette?" 

She turned at the sound of her name and gave him a friendly smile, "yes I'm Annette. Can I help you?" 

Sebastian was tempted to say something crass back to her, after all she was an extremely pretty girl, beautiful even. Everything about her was natural, from her soft blond hair to her face which had almost no make up. Usually Sebastian didn't go in for the basic look but he was willing to over look this bias for the headmasters virginal daughter. 

With a causal smile he introduced himself, "I'm Sebastian Valmont, I'm new and the headmaster told me you were my guide for the morning." 

Her head titled slightly as she asked "he did? That's strange I didn't think I was doing that this year." 

"Well if you want I can go ask for someone else..." 

"Don't be silly" she laughed. "Of course I'll show you around Sebastian, follow me." 

He did just that, making sure as he followed her out of the office to give the bewildered Tony a wave good-bye. Since it was still first period the mahogany halls were all but empty except for a few straggling students. Immediately Annette launched into her tour, pointing out which rooms were which and explaining where the library and cafeteria were. As she babbled on in a friendly, museum guide like voice Sebastian ignored what she was saying and instead concentrated on her ass which looked pretty close to perfect underneath her plaid skirt. "And down the hall to your right is the auditorium where an assembly is being held to welcome everyone back to school later today." 

Sebastian nodded "that's nice. Will you be there, maybe we could sit together?" 

Annette looked slightly taken aback by the comment before she once again eased into her causal friendly manor. "Well I don't know about that...I might have other arrangements already." 

He nodded solemnly as he leaned against the wall. "Annette you wouldn't be lying to me just to spare my feelings would you?" 

"Of course not" she explained her eyes betraying the truth. "Besides I'm sure a guy like you will have plenty on girls to sit with. You don't have to be seen with the headmasters daughter just to impress him." 

Sebastian pretended to be shocked by what she was suggesting even though he was more impressed than anything at her perception. "That's what you think I'm doing?" he scoffed. 

"Isn't that why you ditched poor Tony?" she laughed. "Don't worry Sebastian you aren't the first guy to try to get on my fathers good side by budding up with me." 

He was about to proclaim his innocence but then stopped himself. With a seductive smile he stepped closer to her and reveled "okay you got me but, that's not the only reason I did it." 

"Oh?" 

"Well truth be told you are a lot prettier than Tony." 

Annette laughed at this and he smiled back when suddenly the bell sounded. Like a title wave students started to pour out of class rooms and head down the halls with loud, raucous chatter. Looking down the hall at the oncoming students, then back at him Annette said "I think this about ends our tour. Something tells me you won't have any trouble finding your way around here Sebastian." 

As she turned to leave he called out to her, "wait a minute, if you knew I was lying, why did you go along with it?" 

With a slight, almost sexy smile she replied simply "you're cute. I got to get to class, see you around Sebastian." 

Watching her disappear through the crowd of people Sebastian smiled. Perhaps old Manchester wouldn't be so bad after all. 

****** 

Making her way down the hallway, Annette dashed down the back stairs towards the girls locker rooms. She was going to be late on her first day if she didn't hurry. It was her fault really, she shouldn't have played along with Sebastian's lie and given him that tour. Now she would definitely be late. 

However as she looked back on it she couldn't help but smile. Sebastian was cute, gorgeous even, and although it was completely shallow, that was the reason Annette agreed to show him around. With that smile and those deep blue eyes he would probably be very popular around Manchester. However she also knew almost immediately that he was trouble. Sebastian was the type of guy who wasn't above bending the rules a little or even breaking them entirely if it got him what he wanted. It reminded her of another guy she use to know. 

Slowing her steps down Annette began to think about the past and the present. Not much had changed over the last three years and she began to wonder if she really was any happier. Maybe it was time to make some changes. Throughout her life she had always made it a point to avoid guys like Sebastian. Guys who were too charming, too witty, too cute and usually only after one thing. Sebastian seemed to incumber all those traits but as she got to thinking, she realized he might be just what she needed. Perhaps a little trouble would do her good. 

Rushing into the girls room Annette quickly made her way past the half dressed girls, towards her gym locker. When she spotted her friend Jennifer Robert's she smiled knowing Jen more than anyone, who appreciate her interest in a guy. "Hey Jen" she laughed flipping her hand through her pony tail as she came up behind her. 

Immediately her friend's head snapped back at her and she asked in a cold, fake polite tone, "yes?" 

A little startled by the icy look she got rather than the usual happy smile Annette asked "is something wrong?" 

"Not in the slightest." 

"Oh good, well it's good to see you. We didn't talk hardly at all this summer. What were you up to?" 

Opening her locker Jennifer shrugged and replied "Paris, Italy, and the Greek Islands with the parental units. You know just the usual." 

Normally Annette would joke that it wasn't usual for her. Although Jennifer's parents had a lot more money than hers they had never made a big deal out of it. Jen had been one of the first friends Annette made in New York but now something was different with her. This new attitude of hers caused Annette to hold back her usual quick witted response and simply reply "that sounds nice. So I just met this guy. He's new and he's so cute. In fact I think I might-" 

"Wow don't tell me, he's another student council, Bible thumping, Trevor wanna be" Jennifer snickered. 

Completely stunned by the cruel words coming out of her friends mouth Annette finally asked "Jen what's wrong with you? Did I do something to upset you?" 

Rolling her eyes she grumbled "of course not. The almighty and prefect Annette Hardgrove would never do anything wrong." 

"That's not true" 

"Right, you walk around this school thinking you're God's gift, but news flash honey you're just another boring virgin." 

Annette recoiled back from her, realizing the girl in front of her was definitely not the same girl who befriended her three years ago. "Why are you saying this?" Annette asked. "I thought we were friends." 

Jennifer looked back at her ready to fire another round of insults her way but stopped herself when she saw Annette appeared on the brink of tears. Softening a little she sighed "look Annette I'm s-" 

"Jen there you are" Kathryn Merteuil called out as she came around the lockers and stood in front of them. When she spotted Annette her typical phony smile appeared "oh, hello Annette." 

Immediately a shiver went through Annette's body and suddenly things started to make sense. Last year Kathryn would never even look at Jennifer let alone talk with her. Everybody loved and worshipped Kathryn at Manchester, everyone that is except Annette because she knew Kathryn for who she truly was. Although the pretty brunette always pretended to be nice to her Annette could tell she was lying. She used her money, looks and popularity to get whatever she wanted. Apparently she wanted Jen. 

Annette wasn't really sure why though but she suspected it had something to do with her. Kathryn always struck Annette as the type of girl who whenever she saw somebody with something she didn't have, she would take it from them and make it hers. She saw that Annette had a good and loyal friend and she had to take that from her so she could have yet another groupie. 

Although she was thinking all this Annette didn't say a word. Instead she just replied flatly "hello Kathryn." Noticing she was still in her Manchester uniform she inquired "aren't you going to gym?" 

"No, actually I'm not. Jen that's what I wanted to tell you. We're being excused" 

Jen immediately stopped changing and looked over at her with an amazed smile "we are?" 

"Yes, I explained to Ms. Whiter that it was simply impossible to participate in gym today when I have this speech for the assembly looming over my head. So she excused us so I could work on it and you could help me." 

"Oh my god that's so cool!" Jen exclaimed. "You're such a genius Kathryn." 

"I know" she replied with a cool smile. 

As Jen began to quickly change back into her uniform Kathryn leaned against the lockers waiting. "So Annette" she addressed her as if they were friends. "What have you been up to this summer?" 

"Not much" 

"Hmm, I spent most of it at Joshua's summer place in the Hamptons. You've been there before right?" 

It was things like this that made Annette's skin crawl. Kathryn knew Joshua had never taken her there, that's why she purposely asked. She liked to rub it in. Still Annette pretended to be pleasant "no I've never been." 

"Oh? Well anyway I will miss him now that he's gone off to Yale. Did you know he left already?" 

With a small smile Annette revealed "yes I did, he called me before his plane took off." 

Suddenly the smug look disappeared off of Kathryn's face. Her bright green eyes went cold and she curtly replied "how nice. Jen are you ready yet?" 

"Yeah just a sec" 

Turning her eyes from Kathryn Annette glanced back at her former friend in time to see her slip her shirt on. As she did, out of the corner of her eye, Annette spotted a scar on Jen's shoulder she had never seen before. From the brief glance she caught it appeared to be a 'T', not only that but it was still red meaning it was done recently. 

As she stared dumbfounded Jennifer suddenly woke her from her thought with a cold snicker, "take a picture it will last longer." 

"Sorry" Annette mumbled as she looked to her ground, her head still racing with what she just discovered. 

"Come on Jennifer lets go" Kathryn called causing Jen to quickly brush past Annette to catch up with her new friend. As the two girls disappeared out of the locker room, arm in arm Annette once again felt a shiver creep through her. Something was very, very wrong and it was about time she figured out what it was. 

****** 

The universe always has a way of bringing two people together, usually at the most inopportune times and in the strangest of ways. Sebastian was about to discover that first hand as he headed down the hallway towards the auditorium with his fellow students. It was just another stupid assembly which he normally would have skipped but he was hoping he might run into his new blond friend so he went. 

Maybe it was his fault really, after all he wasn't looking where he was going. Still Sebastian would later blame Susan Ames and her gorgeous ass for distracting him. For just when he was mere feet from the double doors that led to the auditorium he spotted her and couldn't help but turn around and do a double take. He was walking at the same time and not paying attention. Just as he spun back around, he smacked right into someone. Sebastian was fine but the other person went down immediately. 

"Mother fucker" a decidedly pissed off female voice grumbled. 

Sebastian was smiling even before he caught sight of her. Sprawled out on the ground, legs spread enough for him to catch a glimpse of her supple tan thighs, he looked down to see he had indeed ran into a female. Her dark hair had fallen over her face so all Sebastian noticed at first was her body. Small, tight, and hot just the way he liked it. Some charming albeit sleazy words were about to fall from his lips when she suddenly tossed her hair back revealing her face. 

Right then that was enough to shut Sebastian up. Perfect porcelain skin, soft red lips and the best green eyes he had ever seen on a female. She was in short breathtaking to him, even though at that moment she looked like she was about to tare him apart limb by limb. If she looked like this when she was angry Sebastian could just imagine what she looked like when she was about to cum. 

"Don't you look where you're going fuck wit?" she demanded waking him from his temporary haze of lust. 

With an amused grin he replied "well if I knew what I was running into I definitely would have turned around." 

"How fascinating" 

Shaking his head Sebastian bent down, grabbed her by the hands and pulled her up. As he watched her straighten herself up he eyed her appreciably. "Well I think a thank you is in order." 

"Excuse me?" she exclaimed. "You're the one who ran into me! I want an apology." 

"That I can't help you with, it goes against my motto." 

"Motto?" 

"Yes" he explained. "No regrets, no apologies. It makes life much simpler that way." 

Taking a step closer to him she hissed "that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard." 

Even though she was a complete bitch Sebastian couldn't help but be charmed by her. She was beautiful and strong willed with a spark in her that sent a thrill through him. He was almost immediately turned on. Moving even closer to her he introduced himself, "Sebastian Valmont." 

For a brief second a look of recognition passed through her eyes. Did she know who he was? If she did she didn't say. Instead she told him "how nice for you" then started to brush past him. 

Sebastian was about to pull her back when out of the corner of his eye he spotted someone familiar in the crowd. It was Annette standing with a small group of girls by the stage. As an older man talked with them she looked up and her eyes locked with his. When she smiled at him Sebastian forgot about his encounter with the brunette vixen and raised his hand to wave to Annette. He started to head into the auditorium when he suddenly got kicked hard in the back of the legs, causing him to tumble to the ground in pain. 

Sebastian wasn't sure what or who had hit him. He started to get up suddenly when his vixen was standing over him. With an evil but almost child like grin she told him "Kathryn Merteuil ,and my motto is, lead, follow or get the fuck out of my way." 

Before he could respond she went charging down towards the stage leaving Sebastian to get up on his own. However he didn't mind, he liked watching the way her hips swung when she walked away from him. God he barely touched her and yet he was already positively hard. Sebastian decided then and there getting Kathryn Merteuil into bed was priority number one. 

Taking a seat towards the back of the room his mind remained on his latest encounter, as the headmaster took the stage. It seemed to Sebastian he was wasting most of his life listening to this man drone on. Hiding once again behind a pair of shades, he let his head slump against the seat allowing him to try and drift off to sleep. 

Just as his eyes lids got heavy though Hardgroves booming voice announced, "and now here to share some of the upcoming events of the new school year is your student body president, Kathryn Merteuil!" 

The sound of that familiar name along with the thunderous applause that followed it woke Sebastian with a start. Sitting up he looked up just in time to see Kathryn walk across the stage, with long confident struts and a smile that was completely foreign to him. It was a nice smile but he also knew it was fake. Right away, before a word was even out of her mouth, he knew she was putting on a show. This wasn't the same girl he just ran into, she was someone else entirely. 

What she talked about wasn't important and in fact Sebastian wasn't really paying attention. No he was more interested in watching her. From what he could tell she was confident, intelligent and knew how to work a room the same way she knew how to work her plaid skirt. It was fascinating to Sebastian but he couldn't quite put his finger on why. 

When she finished she was once again met with applause and then one of the teachers announced the assembly was over. Students started to scatter back into the hallway but Sebastian stayed seated. Instead he watched Kathryn as she stayed seated on the stage as people swarmed around her. She was staring off into space when she noticed him staring at her. The edges of her lips curled into a smirk and it was then Sebastian met the true Kathryn. Then just as quickly as it appeared, it vanished as Kathryn got called away and soon disappeared behind the red curtain. 

"Give it up man, it's not going to happen." 

Scowling at the arrogant voice in his ear Sebastian turned around to find a black guy sitting comfortably in the empty row behind him. Annoyed at being addressed in such a manor, by a total stranger no less he sneered "excuse me?" 

"Our illustrious student body president" the guy explained as he leaned forward, letting his arms drape over the seat. "You dig her right? You're not alone, you and every other guy with a pecker in this school is trying to get into her panties but I'll tell you she's ice through and through." 

Looking back at the stage where she once stood Sebastian smiled and shook his head "I don't think so." 

"Then you buy her Pollyanna routine?" he challenged. 

"No" Sebastian replied turning back to him. "It's all bullshit of course, she's acting like that to get what she wants. That girls a master manipulator and she probably is use to getting every thing she wants, no question. But the thing is she likes a challenge, she likes to play on the edge and I wouldn't be surprised if she enjoys getting her brains fucked out from time to time as well." 

"Oh check out the new guy!" the guy laughed. "That has to be a first. I've never seen anyone nail Kathryn that quickly, pun intended." 

Shaking his head he turned back and asked him "who are you?" 

"Marcus James, and you're Sebastian." 

"Is my reputation proceeding me already?" 

He just smiled mysteriously and said "you could say that." 

"Right. So you know Kathryn?" 

Sitting back in his seat Marcus shrugged "everyone does in one way or the other." 

Although Sebastian didn't mind talking to the guy, his strange answers to his questions was staring to get on his nerves. Deciding to move off the topic of Kathryn for the time being he gestured over to Annette. "How about her? What's her story?" 

Looking past him towards the blond talking up a teacher, Marcus explained "that's the headmasters daughter, she's sort of a legend around here. Last year she published this article in some teen magazine vowing to remain a virgin until she found true love or some bullshit like that. Anyway since then it's been sort of open season on her in you know what I mean. Every guy's been after her but so far not one has been able to claim her cherry." 

With a confident gleam in his eye Sebastian replied "I will." 

"I'd like to see that" he chuckled. "So tell me Sebastian who are you truly after, Betty or Veronica?" 

Turning back to his new friend he asked "who says I can't have both?" 

****** 

Kathryn was alone, yet again. 

That night, after finishing her first day as a senior, Kathryn walked around her beautiful but cold townhouse. Climbing the marble staircase the only sound that could be heard was the light tap of her stiletto heal against the shiny ground. She took her time going to her bedroom, letting her newly manicured nails scratch against the railing as she wondered not for the first time in her young life, what it would be like to live someplace else. Not that she didn't like her home, she would be crazy not to. All around her was beautiful, expensive things. The whole house was filled with them but it was also a very cold place. It had always reminded her of a museum. 

Why was she thinking such things all of a sudden? Perhaps it was because once again Kathryn had to sit at dinner alone. Her parents were as per usual no where to be found. Her father was on another business trip with his fling of the moment who her mother purposely looked a blind eye to. She didn't care if her husband screwed around, just as long as she was allowed the same luxury. Kathryn knew that's where she was most likely at that moment. Off diddling her tennis instructor or some such nonsense as her daughter sat alone at the long dinning room table, sipping her wine, pretending not to care that her family was a joke. 

Stopping momentarily in her tracks, Kathryn shut her eyes and tried to force the thought out of her head. What did she care what her parents did? So long as they paid her credit card bills and left her alone they could jump off a cliff for all she cared. Kathryn kept reminding herself of this fact as she arrived at the top of the stairs and went into her bedroom. 

She knew what her problem was, she missed Joshua. That was the real reason she felt so empty that evening. Kathryn had all the friends in the world and yet they couldn't make her feel like he did. Before Joshua had left for school she feared she would start to feel this way. As much as Kathryn hated to admit it, she needed him, she wanted him. She loved him. 

It was with that thought she finally picked up the phone and called him. Since he left that weekend he hadn't called her and she promised herself she wouldn't be the first to call, yet here she was. Kathryn dialed his cell number then waited with baited breath for him to pick up. He finally did after five rings. 

"Yes?" 

"Hey, it's me." 

There was a slight pause before, "Katie! How's my girl doing?" 

"I'm fine, just tired with school and everything" she explained as she relaxed back into the bed. When he sounded happy to hear from her, Kathryn's anxiety began to fade somewhat. "What are you up to?" 

"Not much, classes don't start until next week so everyone's basically been partying." 

There were people talking in the background and one of them sounded distinctly female. Kathryn felt a twinge of jealousy, a rare emotion for her but she played cool. "That sound like...fun." 

"Yeah, so are you adjusting to being leader yet? Any problems?" 

"No, no...well not exactly." 

"What is it?" 

That had been the other reason for her call, there was a problem, albeit a small one. "Well I looked over the files on the upcoming students, they're all pretty much losers except for this once guy, Sebastian Valmont." 

"Valmont?" Joshua repeated. "Edward Valmont's son?" 

"Yes, do you know him?" 

"Edward Valmont is poised to become one of the ten richest men in the U.S. in the coming years. My father plays golf with him sometimes but he never mentioned his kid." 

Kathryn snickered "yeah well there's probably a reason for that. The guy's been booted from nearly eight schools for...well you name it he's done it." 

"Interesting, well I think you should definitely recruit him then. He could be very useful to the tribunal." 

"I agree, but there could be a problem." Kathryn flashed back to earlier that day when she literally ran into Sebastian. He was arrogant, rude and worse yet gorgeous. However she also got the impression that he wasn't the type to follow orders. There were leaders in this world and then there were followers, Sebastian was neither. "Something tells me he won't be interested in the tribunal. He didn't exactly strike me as a follow the pack sort of guy." 

"Well then I guess you're just going to have to convince him other wise, won't you?" 

She was slightly taken aback by this, "excuse me? That sounded a lot like an order. Need I remind you who is in charge now?" 

Joshua laughed "no of course not but you're asking for my advice so here it is. This Valmont guy sounds like he could be a problem if not properly controlled, so I think you should put a leash on him before he can do any damage. Just find something he wants and use it to persuade him to join." 

"Well he did seem rather fond of me..." 

"Then use that" he advised. 

"Are you suggesting I fuck him?" 

"I'm suggesting as leader it's your responsibility to do whatever it takes." 

It wasn't that she didn't find Sebastian attractive. Actually she found him quite charming in an annoying sort of way. However it bothered her that the only guy she truly cared about was so willing to whore her out. Then again this wouldn't be the first time. With a sigh Kathryn told him "I'll think about it." 

"Good, now is there anything else bothering you?" 

She was about to reply no, when she suddenly remembered something. "Yes actually, you can explain to me why you called that twit Annette right before you left." 

There was a pause on his end before he replied casually "it was no big deal, I just had a few minutes to kill before boarding so I thought I'd say good bye. " 

"And that's all?" 

"Yes, be careful Kathryn you're starting to sound like a jealous girlfriend." 

"Bite your tongue" she laughed. 

"I wish you could do it for me" Joshua whispered huskily to her. "Now I have to get going, I'm late for this thing. I'll talk to you soon and...I miss you Katie." 

"I miss you too" she told him realizing just how true that was. "Joshua I..." 

"You?" 

She could feel the words in her mouth, she wanted to say it so badly and yet she couldn't bring herself to take the leap. "I'll talk to you soon. Good bye." 

"Bye, baby" 

Kathryn listen to the dial tone a moment before at last hanging up. As she did she stared into space and tried to picture what Joshua would say if she told him she loved him. Would he say it back? No, more likely he would get freaked out and stop calling her. That's why she would bottle up her feelings just as she always had. 

Looking down at her watch she realized she was going to be late. There was a tribunal meeting in ten minutes, that would at least help to take her mind off of Joshua. As Kathryn dashed out the door she knew right away what topic number one would be, Sebastian Valmont. 

****** 

"Oooooooh Sebastian!" 

Resting his hand against the back shelf labeled, BRN G-M, as his other hand worked it's way further into Samantha Norton's depths, Sebastian wondered how much longer this would drag on. Not that he minded having his fingers wedged into a nice, tight pussy but after ten minutes and knowing in the end he probably wouldn't be compensated for his efforts, it grew tiresome. Impatient as always he speeded the process along by twisting his hand so his thumb would press into her hard nub. A moment later he was rewarded by a sudden gasp followed by, "ooh...ohhh...gooooooooodddd!" 

When he felt her start to gush around his fingers Sebastian looked up at the clock overhead, realizing he only had fifteen more minutes before the library closed. He had come to get the books he needed for his classes but as soon as he walked into the brick building he spotted Samantha with her shiny red hair and small skirt and, well he got distracted. Now here they were in the back stacks screwing around when it struck him he actually came there for a reason. 

Pulling his hand out from underneath her skirt, he used her blouse to clean his hand off but the young girl didn't seem to mind. Instead she grinned up at him and asked coyly "would you like me to, um, you know..." 

"Um, I don't have time for you to, um you know..." he repeated back to her in a mocking sarcastic voice. 

Samantha's face fell when she realized she was being insulted. Pulling her skirt back down she huffed "fine, I didn't want to anyway jerk!" 

As she stormed off in the other direction Sebastian watched with a semi amused smile. Seriously if a girl couldn't say 'would you like me to suck your dick?' then he really didn't see any reason to bother with her. Besides he had a late date tonight back at his house but first he had to pick up his books which he had been putting off doing all day. 

Restlessly Sebastian began to pace the stacks, trying to match up the call numbers to the numbers outlined on his schedule card. Just as he was picking up his world history book he turned the corner to find Annette in a most unusual position. She was standing on top of two large books, reaching for something on the top shelf. Sebastian watched her a moment with an affectionate smile before coming up behind her and grabbing the book she was reaching for. "Hey what are you...oh it's you" she said turning to him as a smile spread over her face. 

"Well my friends usually just call me Sebastian." 

"Yes I remember. What are you doing here? No offense but you didn't exactly strike me as the type of guy to hang out in a library." 

Narrowing his eyes at her he responded teasingly "I think there was an insult somewhere in that statement. I'll have you know that I love to read." 

"Really?" 

"Yes" he told her completely serious. Flipping through the thick book in his hand he asked "now what's in this book that's so interesting?" 

Annette's jovial manor seemed to fade as she took the book from his hands and replied "it's sort of private." 

She went back to searching through the stacks but Sebastian followed after her now curious. "Well that looks like a year book. What the hell could be so private in an old yearbook?" 

"It wouldn't interest you." 

Stepping in front of her suddenly he said "try me." 

After studying him a moment to no doubt see if he was serious or not, Annette finally caved in. "All right I'll tell you but you have to promise to keep quiet about it, okay?" 

Holding his hand to his heart he declared "scout's honor." 

Annette rolled her eyes at him before sitting down on a nearby bench and opening up the heavy yearbook marked, 1989. "Back in the forties, about ten years after the school was built this group of kids formed this sort of...secret society, they called it the Manchester Tribunal. It was comprised of the wealthiest, most powerful students who would get together and, well, basically do whatever they want. They ran the entire school and controlled everyone in it including the faculty. No one ever knew about it though until the seventies when this girl died at the hands of one of its members." 

Sebastian, who had been listening with a serious expression on his face, replied "da, da, da!" 

Scowling Annette got to her feat and sighed "I knew you would just make a joke about this." 

"I'm sorry" he said pulling her back. "It's just, come on Annette you make it sound all dramatic. It was probably just a bunch of rich assholes sitting around daddy's beach house getting stoned and laid. I seriously doubt any of them would be smart enough to plan a murder let alone cover it up." 

"Yeah well I wouldn't be so sure" she said somberly as she resumed digging through the shelves. 

Sebastian sighed "why are you so interested in this anyway? If the 'secret' society was discovered back in the seventies I doubt it's likely it's still around today." 

"I wouldn't be so sure of that" she replied as she pushed the open yearbook at him. Pointing to a picture of the honor society she said "look at their arms and legs. See that T mark, that stands for tribunal. All their members have the same mark." 

"So you think the tribunal is still alive and well?" 

"Yes I do" turning away from him she admitted "I saw that same mark on my friend today. Actually she's my former friend since she suddenly decided to ditch me so she could hang out with the nastiest girl in school. Three years ago the same thing happened with a boyfriend of mine..." 

Sebastian interest suddenly piqued at this "boyfriend?" 

Annette smirked back at him "yeah, it was awhile ago. Anyway one night, when we were still together I noticed this mark on his shoulder. It was the same one in this photograph. Shortly after that he...we went our separate ways." 

"Oh well, you are probably better off..." Sebastian started to trail off as he studied the picture closer. There was something about that mark, he had seen it somewhere before, on someone. It took a moment to finally register and when it did he grinned. It had been right before the assembly when he knocked into Kathryn. When she fell to the ground, for just a brief moment he saw her thigh and he saw that exact T scar on her. 

"Sebastian" Annette called to him "Sebastian is something wrong?" 

Breaking from his thoughts he smiled at her "oh it's nothing important. So what are you looking for exactly in these books?" 

"Some sort of proof that the tribunal actually exists. When I find it I'm going to write a story on it and expose the whole thing." 

Stopping her frantic motions with his hand Sebastian turned to her, completely serious "you know if these people are as much trouble as you say you should probably watch your back. Something tells me they wouldn't hesitate to retaliate is you tried to hurt them." 

"Are you saying I shouldn't do it?" 

"No" he said almost too quickly as the wheels in his head began to turn. "No I think you should most definitely do a story on it. In fact find out everything you can, I'll be eager to learn more about this but first, there's something I'd like you to do for me." 

"What's that?" 

Leaning in closer to her he asked "go out with me tomorrow night?" 

A slow smile spread across her lips as he blue eyes twinkled. Sebastian knew his answer even before she told him "I think that can be arranged." 

****** 

"We have a possible problem brewing" Kathryn announced to the crowd before her. With a deep scowl on her face she finished "and it's name is Sebastian Valmont." 

A nervous murmur went through the group as they all whispered to each other. From her seat in front of the Maguires large ball room, she looked over her loyal subjects, all nestled in cushy expensive chairs. "Settle down" Kathryn called out to them as she rose to her feet. "Now here's the situation. Mr. Valmont recently arrived here from London where he's attended various school's for most of his life. His parents are Tracy Valmont, an heiress from the Quartermain family and his father is Edward Valmont, who many of you might know as a major force in the business world. In short Sebastian is wealthy, smart, cultured and not bad of the eyes" she added with a sly grin. 

"Then what's the problem? Ask him to join" a junior named Melissa piped in. When she was met by a sharp glare from Kathryn she shrunk back in her seat and muttered "sorry Kathryn..I just wondered." 

Rolling her eyes Kathryn turned back to the crowd. "The problem is that Valmont isn't what you'd call a joiner. He fancies himself a rebel, a rebel who where's custom made Armani apparently. Getting him to enter into the tribunal might prove a difficult task." 

"What are you going to do?" 

"Well for starters I've taken it upon myself to place one of you in the position of getting close to him. How is that going Marcus?" 

From the back of the room the tall attractive African American guy got to his feet. Dressed in a well tailored Gucci suit he was by far one of the tribunals more attractive members, which made him a sometimes bed mate to Kathryn. With his usual confident grin he explained "it's going as planned. We're becoming friends but I think you're right about him not joining. He won't unless he has specific reason to and even if he did I doubt we could control him. The boy's got a mind of his own and you can't fuck with free will." 

With a calculating grin she replied "just watch me. Did he tell you anything that might help us persuade him other wise?" 

"The only thing solid I got out of him is that he's interested in claiming two females from Manchester." 

"Who?" 

"Well one is Annette Hardgrove" 

This was immediately met by a loud groan and a few snickers from the crowd with one member calling out "get in line!" 

With a tired sigh Kathryn rolled her eyes and said "how original of him. Who's the other girl?" 

Marcus smiled "that would be you." 

There was silence in the room but everyone was staring at each other with small secretive smiles. Although it was known Kathryn screwed around it was never discussed or talked about. It was one of the few forbidden rules. Everyone there just pretended she was loyal to Joshua and vise versa but they all knew the truth. Kathryn noticed the smirks of recognition at this but ignored it. Instead she replied coolly "once again not terribly surprising. Okay look I want you to continue to make friends with him and try to find out anything else that could be useful. In the meantime I'm going to keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn't cause any problems. Now moving on to Mrs. Turner, what could we do to keep her quiet concerning that little accident during lab? I was thinking we get the bitch fired..." 

****** 

Around midnight the meeting finally came to an end and Kathryn was on her way home. As her limo barreled along fifth avenue she thought about what she would do about Sebastian. She needed to find out more about him before making any sort of move towards the bedroom. When they met earlier that day her interest had definitely been piqued and then she heard he also was into Annette. His appeal sudden started to drop for her then. 

God the last thing she wanted to do was get into another battle with that little bitch over a guy, she had already gone through it with Joshua. Not that Kathryn had stolen him away from her...exactly. Back when she was a freshman she had been immediately inducted into the tribunal where Joshua was the newly appointed leader. He was seeing Annette then but everyone knew she wouldn't put out. So Kathryn had taken it upon herself to seduce him figuring it would benefit her goal of someday becoming leader of the tribunal. Her plan had worked on all accounts, she got Joshua and the position. 

However as happy as they had been Kathryn always got the feeling he never fully got over Annette. Kathryn knew she was good in bed and challenging for him but Annette was decent, kind and pure. All things she wasn't. For the life of her she couldn't understand how a guy who found that attractive could also want her. She would have to pose that question to Sebastian later. 

When she arrived home to the house that was still empty she headed upstairs to her room. As Kathryn opened the door to the dark bedroom she realized she wasn't alone. Standing in the shadows was a dark silhouette of a man that made her heart stop. Oh god could it be!? With a smile she flipped on the lights and..."Sebastian?" 

He turned around and smiled at her pleasantly "hello Kathryn. Is something wrong?" 

She realized her face fell when saw it wasn't him. Kathryn scolded herself for thinking it was Joshua in the first place, that was ridiculous not to mention pathetic. Still it was strange Sebastian had nearly the same body type as her Joshua. Scowling at him she demanded "what the hell are you doing here? Who let you in?" 

"One of your maids. This place isn't exactly fort knocks sweetheart but I did find it odd that she just let me in, no questions asked. Tell me do you usually have random guys drop by late at night?" 

Approaching him with cautious but confident steps she hissed "unless you've come hoping I'll once again knock you on your ass, I suggest you leave. I'm tired and I want to go to sleep now...alone." 

"Fine, then I'll leave you alone" he said brushing past her towards the door. "I'm sure my new friend Annette would be very interested to learn about your part in the tribunal." 

Just as his hand was on the door she called out to him "what did you say?" 

"Oh have I gotten your attention?" he asked with a smug smile as he turned back to her. 

Her face betraying nothing Kathryn demanded "I have no idea what you're talk about. What's the tribunal?" 

"Strange I thought you'd be a better liar than that." Sebastian circled Kathryn before standing right in front of her. 

"What are you getting-" 

"Sh" he silenced her pressing his finger to her lip. "Don't bother to deny it. I know all about your little secret club." Sebastian's hand gently caressed her thigh as he talked in a soothing but menacing voice. Slowly his hand moved up under her skirt until his finger tips began tracing the T shaped scar on her inner thigh. 

Feeling his fingers that close to her sex made Kathryn shiver and her breath quicken. She looked up into Sebastian's eyes to find him staring at her intently. Her mind was racing with a million questions most of all how the fuck did he know about the tribunal? She didn't ask him that though, not yet. "What do you want?" 

"What are you willing to give me?" he whispered in her ear as his fingers began to brush against her panties. 

Reaching down Kathryn grabbed him by the wrist and yanked his hand away. "Well you aren't getting that" she hissed as she turned from him and went to her dresser to get a cigarette. As she lit it she asked "who the hell told you about the tribunal?" 

Studying her with an amused glint in his eye Sebastian responded "a friend informed me about it." 

"A friend?" Kathryn snickered. "So I'm to assume that little bitch Annette told you. How did she find out about it?" 

"Ooh I'm sensing a little hostility here Kathryn" he laughed as he sat back on her bed. "I'm sensing you two don't get along?" 

"You're quick" she shot back sarcastically as she stood over him. "I take it you on the other hand are into that loser." 

He shrugged "what's not to like? Beautiful, smart and an honest to goodness virgin. I honestly can't think of anything more appealing." 

Putting her knee between his legs Kathryn climbed onto the bed, practically straddling him. Leaning over so she would purposely brush his face against her cleavage she asked "is that so? What if I told you I could offer you something better, much better?" 

Sebastian eyed her, curious where this was going. "Like what?" 

"Like the opportunity to join the tribunal. You wouldn't even have to go through most of the initiation bullshit, just say the word and you're in. I'm offering you the chance to become one of us Sebastian. Anyone in that school would kill for the opportunity to have just a sliver of the power we have." 

"Hmm, and if I joined could I have you?" 

Kathryn raised an eye brow as she smiled "perhaps." 

Sebastian drew her face down to him like he was going to kiss her. However he stopped when their mouths with an inch apart and whispered "no thanks." 

Before Kathryn had a chance to react Sebastian tossed her back on her bed and got to his feet. A hand ran through her now mussed hair as she yelled out "excuse me? What did you just say?" 

Laughing triumphantly he explained "I said no. Surely I'm not the first guy to tell you that." 

"I offer you the opportunity of a goddamn life time and you say no? What the hell is your problem?" 

"Well Kathryn even though you make it sound real enticing, my idea of a good time is not following orders from a bunch of rich brats. In fact I would sooner slit my throat than ever join up with your little cult in training." 

With a cold sneer she told him "that could be arranged." 

Reaching out he caressed her cheek and cooed "you're so cute when you try to be threatening." 

"Don't test me Valmont" she warned as she got to her feet swatting his hand away in the process. As Kathryn tried to figure out just why he was turning her down something suddenly occurred to her. "Oh I get it, you have a thing for Annette don't you? Here I thought you were possibly marginally interesting but in the end you're just another love struck, pussy whipped school boy!" 

"Oh please" Sebastian sighed with a roll of the eyes. "Annette is just a pawn and in a few days time she'll be just a notch in my belt. I'll have her, humiliate her and in the end I'll accomplish something you're little clique could never pull off. I'm going to ruin the golden girl and show all you losers what a real player can do." 

Hearing this sort of passion come out of him made Kathryn furious but at the same time incredibly turned on. She wasn't sure weather to hit him or pull him back down on the bed with her and that impressed her. Still he was threatening her and everything she stood for. That would not be tolerated. 

"You don't get it do you? If you're not with us Sebastian you're against us therefor you will be eliminated. As for Annette it will never happen, I'll see to it if only to prove to you how very pathetic your so called talents are. So right now either you're in or you're out. If you don't want to be part of the tribunal I will consider this a declaration of war. What's it going to be?" 

His eyes blazing with intensity, Sebastian didn't back down an inch. Instead he strode up to her and replied "I say no...so I guess war it is." As soon as the words were out of his mouth he grabbed her suddenly and kissed Kathryn hard on the mouth before pushing her back onto the bed and storming out of her bedroom. 

Still reeling in shock over what just happened, Kathryn slowly pulled herself up to a sitting position. Letting her fingers graze her lips she smiled to herself as she repeated his words, "war it is." 

- to be continued (Please Review) 


	3. If At First You Don't Succeed

**The Tribunal**

**Summary: As the war between Kathryn and Sebastian heats up, she attempts to destroy his relationship with Annette. However she might succeed in driving them closer together.**

**Chapter 3: If You Don't At First Succeed Try, Try Again**

So far that evening everything was going according to plan. This allowed Sebastian to feel a sense of calm but at the same time he craved the unexpected. A challenge was always fun but so far Annette had failed to give him one. Still the night was young and he was hoping to be pleasantly surprised.

Two hours ago he had picked Annette up at her modest home, located on Long Island. It was to be their first official date and Sebastian was surprised that morning when he realized he was looking forward to it. He genuinely enjoyed her company and liked her but not so much that he forgot that she was after all the prey.

As such Sebastian had gone to great lengths to provide a romantic date for her. He was sure that most of the losers who she chose to date in the past had done the conventional evening of movie/dinner. Sebastian though prided himself on his creativity and instead took her to a few art galleries. Annette appeared to be pleasantly surprised by this even though he himself found most of the art pretentious. Oh well it was a small price to pay to get her in bed and to destroy Kathryn Merteuil and her evil little club.

"So where are we going now?"

Breaking from his thoughts Sebastian looked over at Annette seated in the passenger seat of his jag and smiled. "There's this great new restaurant over on Park I thought we'd check out. Is that okay with you?"

He knew it would be but he cautiously played the gentleman card thinking it would impress her. Sure enough Annette gave him a small smile that he already recognized as her version of playing it cool. She gave Sebastian the same look when he told her about visiting the art galleries in Soho. "Sure that sounds nice."

Sebastian hid his obvious pleasure with a smooth smile as he drove them further into Manhattan. On the way they talked about school, family and the usual getting to know you things. They both carefully avoided the subject of past relationships but the whole time the question was in the back of Sebastian's mind who Annette's mystery guy was. Possibly later he would bring it up.

When they at last arrived Sebastian has the value park his car and the two of them went into Fusion, one of New York's hottest and most expensive new eateries. They had a reservation so they were seated right away in the center of the restaurant. As he sat down and perused the menu Sebastian inquired as casually as possible "so how is your investigation of the tribunal going?"

Annette looked up at him from her menu and frowned "not good. I haven't found any proof that the tribunal is still in existence."

At this Sebastian scowled and grit his teeth. It took a lot to get under his skin, not much in this world angered him but Kathryn did. That nasty little bitch honestly thought she could con him into joining her clique as if he was just another malleable guy for her to play with but she was sorely mistaken. He was smarter and better at these childish little games that she was and he intended on proving it to her. First by getting to Annette before she could, then he would use Annette to bring down the tribunal followed by Kathryn. Then when she was at her lowest he would fuck her and throw her aside just as he would any other common slut.

"Annette" he said putting tossing his menu down. "You have to get that information. There has to be something, you just need to find the right angle.

"I know it's just..." Annette trailed off for a moment then looked up at him curiously. Leaning forward in her seat she asked "Sebastian I know why it's important for me to expose them but what's your stake in it? Why do you want me to expose the tribunal so badly?"

His brain was already forming some sort of bullshit answer when they were interrupted. "Annette?"

The two of them looked up just as a young guy, with soft blond hair and brown eyes approached them. Dressed in a casual suit he smiled at Annette completely ignoring her date. Sebastian scowled at him and was about to order him to fuck off when Annette suddenly got to her feet. "Oh my god Trevor!" she gushed with a large smile as she threw her arms around them. "What are you doing here?"

"I had to fly in for a seminar but I'm leaving in the morning. I'm staying at the Waldorf across the street and I stopped in for some dinner. Wow, I can't believe I ran into you like this!"

"Yeah it is. God I'm so happy to see you!" she exclaimed.

"Well I called but you but your father said you were out."

Sebastian who had been watching this whole exchange with a deep scowl on his face could no longer hold his tongue. Taking a sip of his water he grumbled "yeah that would be me...her date for the evening."

Breaking their embrace Annette looked at Sebastian a little embarrassed while Trevor smiled pleasantly at him. Extending his hand he said "sorry, I forgot my manors. Trevor Jones I'm an old boyfrie...I mean friend of Annette's, nice to meet you."

He stared at the hand in front of him a moment before taking it in his own. With an obvious phony smile he greeted him "Sebastian Valmont."

There was an awkward pause between the three as Annette and Trevor stood there staring at each other while Sebastian stewed in his seat wondering if this was the supposed ex boyfriend who was also a tribunal member. Sebastian doubted it; Trevor seemed far too squeaky clean. Then again how many possible ex's could a girl like Annette have?

"Have you eaten yet Trevor?"

He shrugged "no not yet."

"Oh good" she replied brightly "then why don't you join us?"

The faux pleasant expression Sebastian had been wearing disappeared almost immediately at Annette's suggestion. If he allowed this loser to stay it would completely ruin his chances of getting Annette into bed that night. However when she looked over at him to see find out if he minded Sebastian forced a smile and suggested "yes Trevor why don't you stay."

Grinning enthusiastically Trevor agreed "sure, thanks. I don't mean to horde in on your date or anything but Annette and I haven't seen each other forever" he explained as he pulled a chair up to their small table.

"I bet you haven't asshole" Sebastian grumbled under his breath.

Looking over at him from his menu Trevor asked "what was that?"

"I was just asking if you two use to go out?"

Both Annette and Trevor blushed and smiled at each other shyly making Sebastian want to vomit in response. It was all just so fucking precious that he couldn't wait to ruin her and now him. Finally after a moment Annette replied "yeah, we went out for a little while but then Trevor got into Stanford so we decided...to um, to just be friends."

"Yeah" he agreed letting his hand rest on hers as he smiled warmly at her "but I still consider 'nett one of my closest friends." Turing back to Sebastian he warned Sebastian in a teasing tone "so you better treat her right. Annette deserves nothing but the best."

"I agree" Sebastian replied locking eyes with Annette. She smiled at him but then immediately returned her attention to Trevor.

After the waiter came and their dinner shortly after Sebastian was fully bored out of his mind. He felt as if he was sitting in on someone else's date rather than participating in his own. Annette and Trevor sat talking about everything from their family to school while Sebastian just sat their listening. Every now and then one of them would remember he was there and then try to include him but it always returned back to just the two of them.

It was while dessert was being delivered that Sebastian began to wonder if he was being set up. It all was just too convenient that on the night of his first date with Annette her ex boyfriend from out of town suddenly shows up in the exact spot they were having dinner. Sebastian knew it was possible he was just being paranoid but it couldn't help but shake the feeling someone else was behind it.

As he was contemplating this new theory his eyes began to roam the second floor of the restaurant that was visible from the first. There were many well dressed patrons all dinning, immersed in private conversation, all but one that it. Staring down at him from the balcony was Kathryn wearing an amused smile. Beautiful as always, her dark hair was swept up and she wore a red low cut dress that hugged her body appealingly. However Sebastian barely noticed this and was more concerned by the look of triumph on her face. It was then everything became clear.

His eyes narrowed at her as his hands that were resting on his lap clenched in tight fists. Noticing his anger Kathryn's smile only widened before she raised her hand and waved at him. Sebastian was so pissed he nearly screamed but he stopped himself just short of showing any true emotion. When she eventually walked away he turned his attention back to his dinner companions. "Hey, could you excuse me a moment. I need to use the rest room."

Without waiting for a reply he got up hastily from his seat and made a bee line for the stairs that led upstairs. Just as he was going up one of the staff stopped him "sir, where are you going? The upstairs is full."

Pulling the man's hand from his arm he snarled "the rest of my party is up there."

He pushed past the man and started up the steps just as Kathryn was coming down. They both froze when they saw each other. With a cool smile Kathryn greeted him "hello Valmont."

She started to walk past him when he grabbed her roughly by the arm and pulled her the rest of the way up the stairs "going so soon?"

"Let go" she replied through clenched teeth.

Kathryn attempted to pull away but Sebastian held onto her tightly as he guided her back towards the bathrooms where they could be alone. After making sure no one was around he slammed her against the wall and gripped her by the throat. With her free hands Kathryn attempted to swat him away. "Get off of me, before I scream" she ordered her voice low but menacing.

"Oh I don't think you will. After all if you scream you might alert someone and then I would have to go and blab to Annette all about the tribunal."

She stopped struggling but her eyes narrowed at him "if you were going to tell her you would have done it already."

Sebastian laughed "baby I hope you don't think that's your ace in the hole. Just because I haven't said anything about your part in all of this doesn't mean I won't. The truth of the matter is I'm waiting for just the right opportunity to tell her everything." Bending his head down he whispered in her ear "perhaps after I fuck her brains out. Should make for some interesting pillow talk don't you think?"

He wanted to stun her or at the very least scare her shitless however to his surprise Kathryn simply smiled at him. "Do you really think I'm going to allow that to happen? After I went through all that trouble and pulled all those strings to get Trevor here?"

"So you are responsible for ruining my date?"

She nodded a demonic, child like grin on her face "yes. Don't pout Sebastian you're the one who wanted this war. Had you agreed to join the tribunal in the first place I would have been more than happy to deliver Annette to you. Instead of making us your allies you made us your enemies so now you'll have to pay the consequences. Now let me go."

"Or what?" he snickered.

As if to answer him Kathryn's hand came down between his legs and immediately latched onto his balls. She squeezed them so hard Sebastian gasped as let go of her instantly. Still gripping him she moved out from her position against the wall and pushed him against it. Pressing her body into his Kathryn leaned in and whispered "in case it's escaped your attention Valmont I don't lose. If I were you I'd give up on your pursuit of Annette and leave her to someone much more experienced in this game."

"Like you?" he asked through clenched teeth.

"That's right" she whispered her warm breath tickling his ear. "Now a friendly warning, you EVER grab me again I'll pull off your balls and serve them to my roitwiler. Got that baby?" she licked his check and kissed him briefly before pulling away.

At last Kathryn let go of him but his balls were still aching. With a sly grin she slowly back away "I better let you get back to your date now but I have a feeling we'll talk again real soon. Ta ta" she giggled blowing him a kiss then heading back down stairs.

Sebastian stayed against the wall a minute until the feeling came back to his crotch. All the while he seethed in anger at how much he hated her. He couldn't believe he actually wanted to fuck her earlier. The woman was the god damn antichrist, she was fucking evil and he was going to make her pay for this latest humiliation.

Eventually Sebastian made his way back downstairs to his table where he found Annette and Trevor getting ready to go. "You guys finished already?" he grumbled.

"Yeah but don't worry dinner was on me" Trevor assured him.

Sebastian attempted a smile in response but he just couldn't do it. Still he muttered "thanks" just for the sake of Annette.

The three of them left the restaurant then stood in front once again awkward and Sebastian realized how badly he wanted a cigarette. "Well" Trevor sighed "I better get back to my room. I have an early flight tomorrow."

"All right" Annette said once again embracing him. "But you have to promise you'll call me as soon as you arrive. I can't believe you have to go so soon" she sighed melting into their hug.

"I know but hey at least I got to come back, even if it was just for one night."

"Yeah I guess" she said pulling away from him. "Bye Trevor, talk to you soon."

"Bye 'nett" looking past her to Sebastian he waved "nice to meet you Sebastian and thanks for letting me crash your date."

"No problem" his tone more sarcastic than sincere.

Standing besides his car they watched as Trevor crossed the street and disappeared into the hotel. Sebastian began to fish around in his pockets for a cigarette when Annette turned to him and admitted "I'm impressed."

"For any reason in particular?" he drawled.

She laughed "well most guys would be pissed if an ex boyfriend showed up on their date but you not only were polite, you asked him to join us and I think that's very commendable."

Sebastian wasn't sure if anyone had ever used his name and the word commendable in the same sentence before but he would take it. With a cocky grin he told her "well I'm not most guys."

"No you're not" she agreed. "I must say I don't think any of my other dates, Trevor included ever went this far just to get me into bed."

Turning away from him with an amused grin Annette started to get into the passenger side when Sebastian came up from behind her. "What are you talking about?" he demanded.

Annette turned to him, not angry but more bemused. "I think you know what I'm talking about. I'm not an idiot Sebastian and neither are you. You knew my reputation at Manchester and that was the precise reason you targeted me on that first day. Being the headmaster's daughter had nothing to do with it."

Sebastian was going to tell her she was wrong but then he stopped himself. Curious where this was going he asked "if you knew all this why did you agree to go out with me?"

Her smile fell as she looked to the ground and shrugged. "I knew who you were but I didn't care. I wanted to go out with you, I wanted you" she whispered.

Letting his hands grip her waist as he pressed himself into her, Sebastian bent down and captured her mouth with a kiss. What started out as tentative and sweet soon grew more heated and passionate. His hands moved up to her hair as down her body caressing her curves. Annette eagerly kissed his back, her hands gripping his shirt as she practically moaned. They were making out openly in public as cars drove past them, some beeping. Sebastian seriously considered pushing her down into the back seat and taking her virginity right then and there. However Annette had other ideas and soon broke their kiss. They said nothing but held onto each other tightly.

It was then something occurred to Sebastian that had been bugging him all night. "Annette is Trevor really a member of the tribunal."

She let out a soft throaty laugh "no, Trevor would never join anything like that. It...it was another guy, from another life time it seems."

Sebastian nodded making a mental note to find out who that other guy from the other lifetime was. Bending back down he resumed kissing her, letting his tongue dance against hers. Before things could heat up again Annette gently broke away "not tonight Sebastian."

Pulling away he looked into her conflicted face and asked "but sometime?"

With a small tempting smile she replied "yes."

* * * * * *

"Oh fuck me" Kathryn groaned bitterly as she watched the public display of affection from across the street. There in full view was Sebastian thrusting his tongue down Annette's throat while she practically fell back against the car. Over the past week as she meticulously planned for this night she had imagined many scenarios of how it would end. However not in one of them did she foresee Annette and Sebastian making out while she watched from across the street.

Eventually they broke apart but continued to talk in hushed voices that Kathryn would have given anything to hear. Was Annette actually stupid enough to get conned into sleeping with Sebastian? Normally Kathryn would think not but judging by the way she was grouping him who knew.

At last Annette got back in the car and Sebastian walked around to his side. As he was getting in he looked up briefly and spotted Kathryn watching him from outside her limo. A confident, taunting smile spread across before he blew her a kiss then got into his car practically laughing. Watching the car drive off Kathryn scowled and cursed under her breath "damnit."

As she got back into her limo she slammed the door and let out a shriek of frustration. Looking up at her from his wall street journal Trevor grinned "temper, temper."

"Shut your fucking mouth" she hissed. "I can't believe I went through all this bullshit of getting you here just to have the whole night be a complete bust."

Hardly fazed at this point in their relationship by Kathryn's nasty temper, he simply set his paper down and folded his arms to his chest. "I told you ahead of time this plan of yours wouldn't work. When Valmont left the table I tried to convince her to drop him and come back to the hotel with me but she refused. Did you honestly think Annette would hop into bed with me?"

"No of course not" she grumbled. "If you couldn't get her in bed after dating the twit for a year you certainly couldn't pull it off now."

Trevor scowled at this, even though it wasn't the first time she put down his skills in the bedroom. "Hey it's not my fault she's frigid."

"Frigid?" Kathryn repeated incredulously. "Did you see the little skank out there practically dry humping him? Apparently all she needed was the right guy to bring out her inner slut. It figures that guy would be Valmont."

He shook his head still not convinced "I don't think so. Trust me I know Annette a lot better than you and she's just not the type to be persuaded, especially not sexually."

Kathryn took in his sour expression, a realization forming suddenly. "Oh don't tell me you actually felt something for her Trevor? All this time I thought you could barely stomach her but the truth is you love her…how trite."

Trevor rolled his eyes at her "I never said I hated her but I sure don't love her either. Look the only reason I dated her in the first place was because it looked good for my rep if I dated Hardgroves daughter."

"Not to mention you were the only tribunal member that possibly had a shot in hell in getting to her" Kathryn sighed. Yes the truth was Trevor had a reputation that nearly matched Kathryn's. To everyone at Manchester he was a sweet, smart but quiet guy who no one would ever expect was one of the tribunals more ruthless members. 

"Well Kathryn as much as I'd like to help you with this latest mission I do have to get back to school tomorrow so it seems you're out of luck. Still I don't think you have anything to worry about with Valmont…"

She shook her head at him recalling the earlier events of that night. For a brief moment she had scene what Sebastian was capable of. He was as smart and as calculating as her, he wouldn't stop until he got what he wanted. "That's were you're wrong. This guy is different…he has the means to become very powerful. He's going to use Annette to destroy the tribunal for no reason other that to prove he can. Sebastian has to be stopped."

Sitting up in his seat, now curious Trevor asked "who are you going to send in to destroy him?"

Turning her attention back to him she grinned "who do you think? Never send a man to do a women's job."

*              *              *              *              *              *

The damn air conditioner must be broke. That was the first thing that occurred to Sebastian as he made his way through the hot, pulsating room. Dementia, located in the meat packing district along with the trannies and occasional dead caucus, was the new hot spot for the under thirty set. Though in reality only one large room, it currently seemed to be holding half of Manhattan in its clutches.

Sebastian hadn't been clubbing in awhile, well actually since he picked up his soon to be step mother but that had been purposely premeditated. Tonight the only reason Sebastian had paid the ridiculous cover fee to get in was because he was meeting an old friend. When he suggested this place he cringed but he agreed knowing he was lucky to be granted this little get together in the first place.     

After dropping Annette back at home with only a good night kiss to tide him over, Sebastian realized he was far to wound up to go home and sleep. After briefly considering calling on an old conquest for some fun he decided against it. His mind had been focused on one thing as he left the restaurant. He needed to take down Kathryn and the best way to do that was through the tribunal.

It occurred to Sebastian, as he plotted his next move that he didn't know very much about her. Oh he could guess a lot of it but that was mostly blind assumptions based on observation. He needed some info into the real Kathryn Merteuil. Only then could be properly dismantle her. There was really only one person Sebastian could go to for information; luckily he was free that night.

"Hey Tuttle" he greeted the belched blond from behind.

Currently fixated on a muscular guy grinding against another guy to some Donna Summer song, Blaine waited a beat before turning around. With an exasperated sigh, as if it pained him to look some where else if only for a moment, he glanced over his shoulder at him. The wrinkles of annoyance soon left his face however and were replaced by a beaming grin "Valmont!"

Leaping to his feet in a way that only an openly gay man could do Blaine reached out and pinched his cheek affectionately. "What are YOU doing here?"

"WE made plans to meet here, remember?"

He laughed "yes, yes of course. Come on sit down."

Realizing Blaine was already drunk or stoned or probably both Sebastian sighed. Information was now going to be a little more difficult to come by but he still took a seat beside him at the small table that over looked the dance floor. As soon as they were seated Blaine raised his empty martini glass to the busy bartender and signaled two more. When he got a nod of conformation he turned to Sebastian and asked "so what was it again you wanted to talk about? It wouldn't be your new found love of the homosexual lifestyle would it?"

Sebastian smiled "no sorry, afraid not."

Blaine stomped his foot on the ground in mock disappointment "darn, well maybe some day…"  
  


"Right" he sighed trying to focus the discussion back on the situation at hand. "Anyway back to the reason I called, you went to Manchester right?"

"Yeah for three painstakingly loooooooooonnnnggg years" he grumbled taking his drink from the waitress. 

"Wait, why only three?"

"Hmm, well I got booted at the beginning of senior year for selling to a couple of freshman but you know it was probably the best thing that ever happened to me. After that I transferred to Bennington and began my new career as it were."

Sebastian assumed he was alluding to his occupation as a drug dealer. It was the main reason Blaine was so difficult to get in touch with now a days. Since they met three years ago Blaine had become more and more prominent in the drug game and Sebastian practically had to make an appointment just to see him. 

Knowing that Blaine knew and probably sold too many of Manchester's more elite students he wondered if he knew of the tribunal. Even though he was three sheets to the wind Sebastian knew he had to go about the subject delicately. "So when you were at Manchester were you the joiner type or did you blaze your own trail so to speak?"

Shaking his head Blaine grumbled "Valmont what are you getting at?"

Forsaking the delicate approach he asked bluntly "the tribunal, ever hear of it?"

Right then Blaine sobered up right quick. Setting his martini glass down on the table he looked at Sebastian, his eyes serious and dark and asked "what do you know about the tribunal?"

"What do you know about it?" he shot back.

At this Blaine laughed and ran a hand through his hair. "The only way you could know about it is if you were asked to join. Has someone approached you?"

Sebastian smirked "you could say that, but I refused. Apparently that's a no no to go against the group."

Studying him closely he asked "who asked you to join?"

"Kathryn Merteuil, you know her?"

Blaine smiled in recognition "yes everyone knows Kathryn. If she asked you to join then they must really want you. I don't see what the problem is."

"The problem is I DON"T want to join their little group" he snarled in a dangerously low voice. "The only reason that bitch Merteuil asked me to join was because she wants to keep me in line. I found out about the tribunal before she asked me to join. When I told her I wasn't interested she threatened to destroy me. However I plan on taking her down before she gets the chance."

Blaine once again laughed at this as he picked up the full martini in front of Sebastian and chugged it. "Good luck with that" he snickered. "There's no way you'll bring her down, you won't even come close."

Seeing as Blaine was being of no help what so ever Sebastian got frustrated and had enough. Getting up from his seat he chucked some money down on the table and snickered "that's what you think. Thanks for all your help Blaine."

As he turned to leave Blaine suddenly grabbed him by the arm and with surprising force pulled him back to the table. Without a word he rolled up the sleeve of his crisp navy blue Ralph Lauren dress shirt revealing a large T shaped scar on his arm. When he saw it Sebastian's eyes went wide and he muttered "god damn."

"I guess you could say I was more of a joiner" Blaine quipped rolling his sleeve back up.

Sitting back down across from him Sebastian remarked "I don't get it. A group like the tribunal doesn't seem like your thing."

"Please" Blaine snickered finishing off yet another drink. "I was as openly gay high schooler attending the most elite private school on the east coast. I was just looking to not get my ass kicked on a daily basis."

"And the tribunal, what? Provided you with protection?"

"Among other things yes. In return I provided them with enough drugs to start their own pharmacy." Softening his tone a bit Blaine continued "look Valmont here's a little friendly advice, whatever you're doing to piss of Kathryn stop it. You don't want that girl of all people as your enemy."

Sebastian shook his head "I'm not afraid of her."

"Well you'd be the first" he retorted. 

"I won't give in to her" Sebastian lamented. "Not now, not ever."

*              *              *              *              *              *

"You know what to do?"

Ashley DuPre smiled deviously at the older girl and nodded, "yeah don't worry about me."

"Good girl, now go get ready"  
  


As the redhead strutted into one of the bathroom stalls Kathryn turned to the mirror and smiled at herself. There wasn't a strand out of place as per usual. However on that morning her hair was the least of her concerns. Her latest scheme was about to go into play and if it went accordingly it would squash the supposed Annette/Sebastian relationship before it ever came to completion.

Glancing at her watch, she waited until the second hand passed over the twelve, knowing that the first bell would ring singling the end of third period. Sure enough when the bell sounded Kathryn could hear from the bathroom the rush of students leaving. Then just as she planned the heavy door to the girl's lavatory swung open and Annette came in. After a week of having one of her underlings follow the headmaster daughter Kathryn and learned that part of her daily routine was to stop at the bathroom, located next to her third period French class, before heading off to theater.

When she can in Annette immediately stopped in her tracks when she spotted her. Her eyes darkening she muttered "hello Kathryn."

"Annette" Kathryn said brightly her eyes remaining on the mirror. "You look very nice today. I like that headband."

Annette rolled her eyes quickly but forced a fake smile anyway "thanks I…did you hear that?"  
  


"Hear what?"

A soft sniffling followed by a wail was suddenly heard coming from one of the bathroom stalls. Stepping towards the closed door Annette asked "is everything alright in there?"

"Yes" came Ashley's soft reply "I-I'm just…" she began to cry once again before the phony explanation could get out.

Kathryn nearly puked when she saw the concern wash over Annette's face as she said "oh what's wrong?"

Slowly the door opened and Ashley came out, her face a mess with her mascara running and her face wet with tears. "I'll be al right" she sniffled. "You don't have to bother with me."

"Maybe I could help if you tell me what's upsetting you?"

"Maybe you should just leave the dor…the girl alone" Kathryn corrected herself.

Annette's eyes narrowed at her as she told her "Ashley's obviously upset Kathryn. Would it kill you to show a little compassion?"

"No I'm okay Annette, honestly" she whispered as tears continued to pour down her face.

Putting a comforting arm around her slender shoulders she prodded gently "something is bothering you and I'm not leaving you alone until you tell me what it is. I'm sure it's not that bad."

"Yes it is" she sobbed resting her head of Annette's shoulder. "God he told me he loved me!"

"Who did?"

"This guy I'm been seeing for the past few weeks" she explained weekly. "He had been pressuring me to go to bed with him but I didn't want to since I'm…you know...a-a virgin. Then last night he came over and he, he forced me…"

Annette's eyes went wide in horror as she exclaimed "he raped you?"

Crying even harder now on her shoulder she whispered "yes. I told him no but he wouldn't listen."

"Oh god" Annette sighed. "I know this must be difficult for you Ashley but you have to tell me who he is so we can report him."

"No" she replied quickly. "We can't, I'd be too embarrassed."

"Well you can't just let him get away with it. Who did this to you?"

There was silence in the bathroom for a long time before Ashley finally broke. "It…it was Sebastian."  
  


Pulling the girl away from her, Annette's eyes wide in terror she repeated "Sebastian? Sebastian Valmont did this to you?" When she nodded in response Annette told her disbelieving "but that's impossible. Sebastian would never…he would never do something like that."

"You don't believe me!"

"No it's just" Annette shook her head now on the brink of tears. "I know him, we've gone out and he's just not like that."

"That's what I thought" she sighed. "But last night…he was like a completely different guy."

Kathryn watched in amusement as Annette bit her lip, deep in thought. She could tell the girl was obviously trying to convince herself that it wasn't true but just one look at Ashley and it was hard to call her a liar…even if she was one. "I-I have to go talk to him" Annette said. Glancing at Kathryn she asked "can you take care of her?"

"Of course" Kathryn answered in all sincerity. "What are you going to do?"

Annette didn't answer her as she left the bathroom. Once alone Ashley wiped her face and snickered "dumb bitch."

"Well my dear have you ever considered a career as an actress?" Kathryn asked sliding a hand through the girls red hair.

"Was I good?"

"Definitely Academy Award worthy" she laughed. "The look on Annette's face was priceless."

Splashing her face with warm water Ashley asked "what do you think she's going to do?"

"Most likely she's on her way to ream out Valmont and I for one plan on having a front seat!" Grabbing her school bag Kathryn headed to the door but called over her shoulder before leaving "you were fantastic Ash, I can't wait to tell the tribunal about it."

As it so happened Sebastian also had theater with Annette during fourth period so it was a no brainier where she would find them. When Kathryn arrived at the theater she found that the class had broken up into groups, with a bunch of students running lines on stage and others behind the scenes. Since she didn't spot either Annette or Sebastian Kathryn snuck back stage where she sure enough was greeted by hushed whispers and accusations.

"Annette, are you crazy? I would never force myself on someone! Especially Ashley DuPre" Sebastian exclaimed. "Not after what she did to me when I first arrived."

Annette, whose pale face was streaked with tears, looked up at him in disbelief. "What are you talking about? What could Ashley possibly have done to you?"

From her spot behind the curtain Kathryn spied the two of them in action. She expected to see fireworks but instead she got Sebastian all ready with an excuse. Almost as if he was waiting for this confrontation…

With a deep sigh he launched into his story "on the first day of school Ashley and I had a bit of an encounter. We were down in the boiler room, you know screwing around. Things started to get heated but before anything could REALLY happen I stopped her and said I would gladly fuck her but that I didn't want a girlfriend. She tried to convince me otherwise but when I refused to be persuaded she completely freaked out. She said she was going to get me back for humiliating her like that and taking advantage or some such bullshit. Everyone knows you and I are seeing each other so she probably told you this garbage to pay me back."

"You're saying she was lying?"

"Yeah, now come on Annette you know me" he pleaded. "And you also know that I don't have to force a girl to do anything" Sebastian added with a smirk.

This logic seemed to register with Annette. Nodding solemnly she replied "I guess it makes some sort of sense. It's just she was so convincing…"  
  


"I'm sure she was" he agreed. "There was something else about her I thought I should tell you. When we were fooling around I'm pretty sure I saw a tribunal mark on her."

Wiping her face Annette flinched in realization "oh my god, then this is definitely starting to make sense." Laughing shortly she told him "Kathryn was there when she told me. The two of them probably planned the whole thing."

"Wouldn't surprise me" Sebastian sighed wrapping her in an embrace.

"God Sebastian I am so sorry. I can't believe I was that gullible"

Kathryn couldn't believe what she was hearing. For the second time in less than a week Sebastian had managed to completely destroy her plan. This time she thought there was no way he'd be able to talk his way out of it but sure enough there he was, accepting Annette's apology.

"Don't apologize Annette, if I was in your shoes I would have thought the same thing" he assured her kissing her forehead. 

"Annette!"

"Oh that's Mrs. Green" she sighed breaking from their embrace. "I better go talk to her. I'll be right back."

"Okay" Sebastian watched her depart through the heavy blue curtains. When alone he laughed and called out "I believe you're 0 for 2 now Merteuil."

Pushing past the curtains Kathryn charged up to him and hissed "god that was nauseating."

He turned to face her with a gloating grin. "Did you honestly think this latest scheme of yours would work? I mean please, I don't need to rape a girl to get laid. Even Annette's smart enough to realize that."

"Yes" Kathryn agreed "apparently I didn't give the little nit wit enough credit but that doesn't mean this is over. Not by a long shot."

Stepping even closer to her Sebastian caressed her cheek and murmured "give it up baby, this little war you got planned is not going to go the way you hoped."

"Don't touch me" 

He grinned "you like it."

Shaking her head she leaned into him until her nose was brushing him. "You know in a way I'm almost glad you didn't join the tribunal. If you had I might have had to actual lower myself to sleep with a scumbag like you."

"Give it up" he taunted her, his fingers now lingering on her waist. "You want this, you want me. That's why you're trying so hard to break me. You hate yourself for wanting this so bad."

Kathryn let out a soft throaty laugh "you are delusional."

"Fine, whatever, continue on with your little game, predictable as it is."

"Predictable?"

"Predictable"

Her eyes flashed dangerously as Kathryn finally came to the breaking point. Deciding she would shut him up once and for all she grabbed him suddenly from the back of the neck and pulled Sebastian into a hard kiss. She was pleased at his obvious surprise but even more so when she felt him kiss her back. Wrapping his arms around her they kissed hungrily, as their tongues wrestled for dominance. 

Still not breaking away Sebastian slammed her back against the opposite wall making her moan in response. Briefly he broke away from her and their eyes locked as they exchanged smiles. Grabbing him once again by the back of the head Kathryn this time guided him to her neck where he soon began to lick, suck and kiss her delicate skin. It felt amazing but Kathryn had other ideas.

She started to moan, not loudly but just enough to get him going. As Sebastian's hands slid up her white dress shirt and cupped her breasts through her bra he groaned "oh baby."

It was then the blue curtains began to sway slightly and Annette suddenly appeared wearing a smile. She was about to say something but stopped when she looked up and saw the couple in front of her.  Eyes wide, her mouth hung open as a pained expression graced her face. At this Kathryn smiled and then whispered in Sebastian's ear "do you want to fuck?"

"What do you think?" he murmured back.

Her smile widening Kathryn shot back "I don't know, what do you think Annette?"

Sebastian broke away from her neck and looked down at Kathryn questioningly. When she pointed her finger behind his back he turned to find Annette staring at them in shock. "Annette I-

Holding her hand up she ordered "don't even bother Sebastian. I'm sorry I interrupted."

She left once again, leaving Sebastian to stare slack jawed into space. Kathryn however laughed in triumph and clasped her hands together. Walking past him she snickered "I guess I'm 1 for 2 now Valmont. Predictable my ass!"

*              *              *              *              *              *

Annette hated the rain but she supposed it was fitting to her mood. Staring out at the night sky as the rain fell in steady buckets she considered her latest failed relationship. She couldn't believe she was so stupid as to get involved with Sebastian in the first place. She knew exactly who he was but she went out with him anyway.

If she was honest with herself she would admit the real reason she went out with him to begin with was because she knew he was a bad boy. Maybe there was a part of her that thought she could train him or possibly she just wanted to see what it was like to give in to the dark side.

Well Annette didn't give in and she felt miserable anyway. The vision of Sebastian making out with Kathryn had been playing in her mind all day. It wasn't that she was so shocked he would cheat on her but with Kathryn? He knew how she felt about her. That hurt most of all.

He had of course been calling her but she refused to talk with him. She knew he would make up an excuse but she didn't want to hear it. If she did she might be tempted to forgive him. As it was she had been tempted to call him all night. Laying on the couch she once again let her hand run down the phone as she contemplating picking it up. Annette didn't know what she would say anyway.

Just then there was a sudden loud knock coming from the front door that startled her so bad she jumped. Looking around she remembered her father was gone for the night to some faculty seminar. Annette wasn't sure who would be visiting this late at night but she got up to check in out anyway. Peeking out the while lace curtains she saw Sebastian huddled on her doorstep completely wet. Reluctantly she went to the door and opened it. "What are you doing here?" she asked coldly.

Shaking he asked "c-can I come in? Please Annette we really need to talk?"

Part of her really wanted to slam the door in his face but the other part; the compassionate part took pity and opened the door. He came in immediately, pulling his wet coat off. "Thank you" he smiled.

Standing with her arms crossed in front of her she demanded "what do you want? Make it fast I'm about to go to bed."

"You know why I'm here" he sighed walking into the living room. "I want to explain to you what you saw between Kathryn and me. It wasn't-

"What I think" she finished for him with a roll of her eyes. "So what was it Sebastian? Did Kathryn jump you, did she force herself on you, were you drugged? What's the explanation this time?"

He started to speak but then stopped himself. Sebastian's intense blue eyes locked on hers as a slow smile spread over his face. "Actually she kissed me and I kissed her back. She didn't trick me and I easily caved, because well she's beautiful and sexy. It doesn't mean I think any less of you it just happened."

Annette regarded him with shock "that's your explanation?"

He moved closer to her with a confident gleam in his eyes "it's the truth. Here's the thing Annette you knew who I was before you went out with me and you liked it. You wanted me just like I want you."

She shook her head at him "I think you should leave now Sebastian."

"Fine but there's just one thing." Before she could ask what that one thing was Sebastian reached out, grabbed her from around the waist and kissed her passionately. Annette started to fight against him but soon gave up. They kiss and stumbled their way to the couch. 

In those moments she didn't know what she was doing. She didn't love Sebastian but she wanted him, she wanted him more than any other boy she'd ever been with. More than Joshua, Trevor or any of her boring dates. Annette had always prided herself on her self control but that night she wanted to give in. Even if it was just that once.

Sebastian began to undress her, not even asking her permission. When she at last opened her eyes and looked at him she saw he was smiling. Annette wasn't sure if it was out of caring or triumph. She didn't really care.

                                                - to be continued (Please Review)

  
  



	4. Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better

**The Tribunal**

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**Summary: Kathryn learns of Sebastian's night with Annette as he discovers her relationship with Joshua. What will they do with their new found information?**

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**Authors Note: I know I haven't updated in awhile but I really needed a break. Hopefully my updates will be more frequent now that I have some time. Please keep reading!**

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**Chapter 4: Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better**

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****Kathryn looked hot and she knew it. Standing before her full length mirror she ran her hands down the smooth black cashmere material that was hugging her body oh, so appealingly and smiled in satisfaction. With the addition of a stand of loose diamonds placed strategically around her neck and a pair of black stiletto heels, she was at last ready for a night of clubbing. And to think it only took a mere two hours to complete this look, but Kathryn didn't mind. Perfection took time. 

Once she was at last satisfied with her appearance she grabbed her clutch and strode over to her bedroom door. Even before she opened it she could hear the murmur of voices eagerly anticipating her arrival. Kathryn waited a beat before grasping the chrome door handle and stepping out into the hallway. With confident strides she entered the spacious formal living of her families town house to find almost all of the tribunal members waiting for her. Upon her arrival everyone immediately turned to greet her. 

"Kathryn I LOVE your dress!" 

"Cute shoes" 

"Tonight is going to be SO much fun" 

"Something tells me the ladies who lunch wouldn't really find this outfit appropriate." 

Marcus delivered that line with a cool smirk. Seeing as he was one of the few who Kathryn allowed to address her in such a way she squeezed his face affectionately before passing by and making her way towards the front of the room. 

Clapping her hands in a unnecessary gesture to get everyone's attention, Kathryn stood before the floor length picture window and called out "all right there's a few things we have to go over before we leave." 

The soft murmuring of the crowd immediately stopped at the sound of her voice. Kathryn smiled at this as a perverse thrill ran through her body. She loved that feeling of having everyone's eyes of her, everyone waiting with baited breath for her next instructions. It was the ultimate power rush. 

"As you know Manchester's newest student has been giving us some trouble" 

"Yeah you could say that again" a tall prep named Todd Warton called out. "That prick has been making his way through all of the junior and senior girls. Nancy even caught him screwing around with vice principal Van Ryan." 

Kathryn rolled her eyes at his interruption. "Thanks for that Todd but I'm well aware of Valmont's...activities. He might have had his share of the Manchester sluts but I know one girl he'll NEVER get." The room filled with amused snickers and Kathryn chuckled darkly. "With all of his charm and money Valmont will never get Annette to spread her legs for him. I have it on good authority that she's even barely talking to him so-" 

"That's not what I heard" came a soft voice with just a hint of bitchiness to it. 

At this Kathryn scowled wondering who the hell would dare challenge her. All eyes turned towards the center of the room where Marci Jenkins was standing. Petite with short red hair and perfect porcelain skin Marci wore a smug know it all smirk that Kathryn had to resist the urge to smack off. Instead however she curbed her anger at being challenged and asked coolly "what are you talking about?" 

"Well" the red head beamed obviously pleased that she now had the room's attention "rumor has it that Sebastian and Annette did it a few nights ago when her father was out of town. I guess he came over to apologize and she bought every word. So it looks like Valmont can get any girl he wants." 

_Wrong_, Kathryn thought to herself as her eyes narrowed dangerously at Marci. _He can't get me, never_. In all honestly Kathryn wasn't sure if Marci's claims were true but she sure as hell wasn't going to admit they might be in front of the entire tribunal. She also wasn't about to let this little twit make a fool of her. With a calm smile Kathryn asked her "who did you hear this from?" 

"I over heard Jenny Douglas talking about it in the bathroom yesterday with Annie Jong and everyone knows Annie hangs out with Annette's small group of loser friends. According to Annie she saw Sebastian come out of Annette's house early the other morning." 

Kathryn nodded still keeping control "so let me get this straight. You are taking the word of some nobody loser over mine?" 

The room immediately went silent as Marci's smile fell and her eyes darted to the floor. "Um no Kathryn, no that's not what I meant. It's just..." 

"Marci dear do you have any other proof or are we just believing everything that comes out of the mouths of bible thumping dyke rejects?" 

This was met by a few snickers and giggles in the crowd. Realizing what little power she might have had was now vanishing Marci explained softly "no Kathryn, I'm sorry. I was obviously wrong, it won't happen again." 

"Let's hope so" she told her coldly. After staring Marci down until the poor girl would no longer hold her head up Kathryn's face brightened "if there's nothing else, let's head out. Xmas awaits!" 

Of course after what happened to Marci no one was about to try and challenge Kathryn once again. Instead the room erupted in laughter and excitement as everyone headed out of the townhouse and into their expensive cars. Tonight the gorup was going to be checking out one of the hottest clubs in Manhattan called Xmas. 

Kathryn watched as everyone filled out but she didn't follow. Instead she hung back and came up beside Marci who was just pulling her keys from her Prada clutch. Grabbing her by the arm she whispered "can I have a word with you Marci?" 

She spun her head back and her emerald eyes went wide in fear but Kathryn noticed she tried to play cool, as if it was normal for her to grab her in such a way. "Yeah sure Kathryn." 

Keeping her fierce grip on her arm she dragged the girl into the dinning room and made sure to close the doors behind her. Once alone Kathryn explained "I just wanted to make sure you and I were clear on some things Marci." 

Rubbing her arm Marci asked "like what?" 

"Like that you know your place in this organization. You haven't been with the tribunal long so let me explain some things. I am the leader and you are the minion. Now as you know being a member of the tribunal can provide you with many benefits but only as long as you follow the rules. In case you forgotten, rule number one is don't challenge the leader. Especially not in public, during a meeting. If you can't live up to this rule I'll be forced to go about removing you as a member." 

Taking a step away from her Marci told her "you can't do that. Not without the whole tribunals consensus." 

Kathryn let out a husky laugh as she moved closer towards her. "Do you honestly think that would be hard to do? Let's say it was I guess I would just have to get rid of you myself." 

"How?" 

"Well if you don't start falling in line then I think I'm going to have to expose a few of your secrets." 

Holding her head up Marci exclaimed confidently "I don't have any secrets." 

"Please" Kathryn huffed "everyone does but some people's are a lot more interesting than others." Reaching out suddenly Kathryn grabbed her by the arm and pushed the sleeve of her black knit top up exposing a series of small cuts. "Oh what do we have here sweetie?" 

"There nothing, my cat did it" she explained quickly as she tried but failed to pull out of Kathryn's grip. 

"Yes but the thing is Marci you don't have a cat" she replied softly clucking her tongue. "It would be such a shame if everyone was to find out you were a cutter. I mean after all it is a sign of weakness and that alone could get you booted from the tribunal." 

Her eyes went wide in panic Marci pleaded "please Kathryn, you can't tell them! I'd be mortified." 

Kathryn nodded her head sympathetically. "Yes well maybe I won't tell them, maybe I'll just tell your parents. God Marci it would break your mothers heart if she found out you still mutilate yourself, I mean after all the money they spent on therapy for you. If your parents discovered it didn't work they'd probably send you to that clinic. The one up in Maine that you stayed at during the summer." 

Marci regarded her with shock as a few tears rolled down her soft cheeks. "H-how did you know about that?" 

Stepping even closer to her Kathryn caressed her now damp face and explained in a soft but menacing voice "I know everything Marci. In fact it would do you good if you thought of me as your God. I can help you achieve everything you want but I can also" grabbing her face roughly she finished "take it away. Now do we have an understanding?" 

Nodding her head as best she could under her leaders intense grip Marci told her "yes, yes I understand now. I won't ever challenge you again Kathryn, I promise." 

"Good" she told her brightly as she pulled away. "You should go now or else everyone will wonder where you went." 

As Marci scampered out the door Kathryn clasped her hands together and laughed in triumph. She could still feel Marci trembling underneath her grip, god that had turned her on. The stupid bitch would now never think twice about questioning her again in fact she doubted anyone would. She was their leader, she was their god. 

****** 

Sebastian felt like dancing therefor he did. Moving amongst the well toned sweaty bodies of the crowded dance floor he stopped in front of a particular supple creature. Long blond hair, full tits and a nice ass. He grabbed her from around the waist and moved her back side against his front. The girl's head immediately swung back but when she got a look at the guy who was accosting her she grinned, tossed her head back and moved against him even more urgently. 

She of course offered him little challenge and Sebastian was just slightly disappointed by this. Then again he enjoyed an easy score once in awhile so he went with it. Letting himself get lost in the pulsating music and the warm body grinding up against him Sebastian tried to forget why he came out to this club in the first place. More precisely who he was running away from. 

"What's your name?" the sexy blond leaned back and whispered in his ear. 

"Jason" he told her not sure why he lied. Maybe because he didn't want to have to deal with any hang ups the name Valmont would bring. Undoubtedly if he told her his real name dollar signs would start appearing in her shining eyes. Then she might get the idea that if she didn't fuck him right away she might have a chance of becoming his girlfriend. Ugh. 

"Well Jason" she purred as her hand reached back and squeezed his ass "want to join me upstairs...for a little privacy?" 

"Perhaps" he tossed back getting his first decent look at her face. It was strange but she reminded him a little of Annette. Different body structure but her eyes were nearly the same color and her cheekbones were the same height. Then again maybe she just looked like her because she was on his mind. After all it was Annette he was running from. 

It had been three days since he went over to Annette's and they ended up in bed. Oddly enough that wasn't the reason he had gone over there but when he realized he wasn't going to be able to play her like all his other conquests he realized it was now or never. He had to nail her then and there or it would never happen. Actually it had surprised him how easily she gave into him, perhaps she really did want it as much as him. Sebastian wasn't sure if he would ever really know. 

Of course she had been calling him and he did talk with her, mostly out of pity. The sex had been good, great even but he wasn't interested in a girlfriend. Sebastian liked Annette but she was a pawn and now he was just bidding his time as he thought of the perfect way to reveal his latest triumph to the world and humiliate her. Whatever he did it would have to be by Monday, he couldn't put off Annette any longer without her becoming suspicious. As it was Sebastian was blowing off the study date they made tonight. 

Turning her curvaceous body around so she could at last face him the blond looked up at him and asked "so what do you say?" 

Sebastian started to open his mouth to respond when he looked up and saw a group of girls enter the club. Dressed in the typical low cut, revealing clothing and some of them locking arms he recognized them as students from Manchester. That was as good a reason as any to agree to escort his young blond friend upstairs but then he spotted a familiar face among the gaggle of girls. 

Kathryn Merteuil 

Tossing back her soft dark hair as she laughed Kathryn stood out among the rest, a beacon of beauty and power. She wore a black halter dress that showed off her curves but still gave her an air of class. Still for all her sophistication when Sebastian looked at her it was like watching walking sex. 

"Do you know them?" the blond asked with obvious disdain. 

Pulling his eyes from the group of girl he looked down at her and said "why don't you go order us a couple of drinks." It was more an order than a request but when he slipped a folded fifty between her cleavage she departed with a smile on her face. 

Leaning against one of the tables lining the dance floor Sebastian watched intently as Kathryn and her group of friends who he assumed where tribunal members, made there way among the grinding bodies. Almost immediately an older, guy with broad shoulders started to move against her. Kathryn didn't seem to be bothered by this in the least and in fact began to pull him even closer. Watching this Sebastian was both equally parts turned on and disgusted as he usually was by Kathryn. 

As he continued to watch her tease her partner relentlessly Sebastian couldn't help but recall the kiss they shared a few days earlier. Sure he realized it was all an act but he wondered if she enjoyed it, he had. Tasting her, feeling her rub up against him just as she was that poor loser now had almost been worth letting her win a battle. Before the only reason he wanted to get her into bed was so he could destroy her afterwards. That hadn't changed but now it wasn't just about revenge. He wanted her. 

Fifteen minutes later the blond still hadn't come back but Sebastian hadn't noticed. His attention was on Kathryn who at last made her way off the dance floor. When he realized she was heading to the bathroom Sebastian seized the opportunity and followed her. Seeing as it wasn't the first time he entered a ladies rest room he had little qualms about pushing past the heavy wood door. 

Kathryn was standing before the circular mirror applying lip gloss. When she spotted him she didn't seem the slightest bit fazed and simply told him "wrong room, little boys do it standing up." 

Sebastian smiled as he strode up behind her, ignoring the annoyed women to his right glaring at him, and placed his hands upon Kathryns slender waist. "Fancy meeting you here." 

"I doubt it" she snickered "it's sort of sad that you're reduced to stalking me now Valmont." 

"Don't flatter yourself princess this is just a pleasant surprise." 

Straightening herself out she ordered "well do me a favor and go surprise someone else would you." 

"Fine, I was going to share with you about the night I spent with Annette." When Sebastian felt Kathryn's body tense under his touch he grinned before adding "but since you're not interested..." 

He started to walk away and just as he knew she would Kathryn pulled him back and demanded "what are you talking about?" 

Taking her hand in his Sebastian drew it to his mouth and kissed it as her eyes locked intently on him. "The virginal Annette is no longer so virginal." 

Kathryn's eyes widened "you're lying." 

"You think so huh? We did it right there on daddy's sofa, still practically clothed I pushed into her and popped her sweet cherry. She didn't cum the first time-" 

"First time?" 

"Yes afterwards I took her upstairs and fucked her senseless all night until-" 

"Okay enough" Kathryn spat pulling her hand from him. "God I think I'm going to be ill." 

Sebastian smiled in giddy amusement as she turned away from him and back to her reflection. He knew she would be pissed and he was happy she didn't disappoint. "Oh come on Kathryn don't be a sore loser." 

"I haven't lost anything" she hissed spinning around suddenly. "Don't kid yourself Valmont, you may have won the battle but you haven't won the war." 

"Haven't I?" he challenged. "Come Monday morning I humiliate and ruin the headmaster's lovely daughter, a task you and your band on nit wit friends could never manage to pull off. When everyone learns that you let an outsider destroy one of your biggest enemies your days as tribunal leader will be numbered." 

Kathryn's eyes narrowed at him "how do you know I'm leader?" 

He shrugged "I have my sources." 

Before she could demand a further explanation his cell phone rang. Sebastian was going to ignore it but when he picked it up he realized it was Annette's number. "Hello?" 

"Sebastian it's Annette" 

"Oh hey Annette" he greeted her his face expressionless as he watched Kathryn react. 

"I was just calling because I thought we had a study date tonight. Where are you?" 

"Oh I'm sorry I'm at home" he explained his face betraying the phony saccharine in his voice. Kathryn turned and shook her head as she glared at him. "I don't think I'm up for it tonight." 

"Is something wrong?" she asked her voice laced with concern. 

"Well I think I came down with something earlier, a bug of some sort. I've been getting sick all day." As he forced a fake cough Sebastian reached out and let his fingers trail down Kathryn's skin. She didn't protest and in fact barely seemed to notice even when his fingers slid underneath her dress and grazed her nipple. 

"Would you like me to come over? Maybe I can make you some soup or-" 

"No that's okay" he interjected. "What ever I have is pretty nasty and I would hate for you to catch it. I'll probably be in bed all weekend but I'll make sure to be at school on Monday. I'll talk to you then okay?" 

"Sure" she replied softly "I hope you feel better, bye Sebastian." 

"Good bye Annette." Ending the call he slid the phone back in his pocket then turned to his opponent with a triumphant grin "now is there really any doubt I'll win this little war we got going?" 

Kathryn titled her head in thought as she noted "you are an impressive bullshit artist I'll give you that." 

"Masterful is more like it." 

Pulling herself up on the counter top Kathryn wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him a little closer. "You know that position in the tribunal is still open if you want it." 

Sebastian wasn't surprised at the offer but it did annoy him. Was that the only thing she was interested in? Rolling his eyes he sighed "all I'd have to do is sell my soul to you right?" 

"I wasn't aware you had a soul Sebastian" she laughed pulling him closer until he was completely breathing her in. "If you were to join there would be all sorts of opportunities open for you." 

"Like what, fucking you?" When she gave him a shrug that was anything but innocent he snickered "I thought you couldn't bare to lower yourself to sleep with a scumbag like me?" 

Kathryn laughed "well it wouldn't be the first time. I'm sure I could fake it if I needed to." 

Sebastian scowled at this as her eyes danced in amusement. His jaw clenched he whispered menacingly "I'll NEVER join your little club." 

He started to walk away when Kathryn pulled him back drawing his face towards hers. For just a moment Sebastian thought she might kiss him again but instead she told him "never say never." 

Pushing her away he headed out of the rest room but not before calling out "never!" 

Stepping back out into the crowded club where the temperature felt a hundred degrees hotter Sebastian felt like he always did after one of his talks with Kathryn. Angry enough to either hit someone or fuck their brains out. He decided he would go hunt down that hot blond in order to relieve some of his tension when he felt a hand on his shoulder. "Looks like someone rubbed you the wrong way." 

Sebastian spun around to find Marcus staring at him curiously. He was exactly the wrong person he felt like talking to at that moment but he didn't feel like hitting him either. So instead he grumbled "that would be your boss" and then stalked off in the other direction. 

Marcus followed him over to the bar and asked "what are you talking about?" 

"Oh give it up Marcus!" Sebastian yelled over the loud thumping music as his eyes scoured the crowded bar for his blond. "I know you're a tribunal member!" 

"I don't know what you're talking about" 

"Yeah right" he called out with a humorless laugh. "You don't know what I'm talking about so I guess you won't care if I yell out all the secrets of you secret society-" 

Still remaining the picture of calm and collected Marcus reached over and grabbed Sebastian by the back on the neck. He squeezed him causing a sudden sharp pain to shoot up to his back. "If I were you I'd lower my voice" he whispered in his ear. 

"Fine" Sebastian grumbled through the pain. "But you're telling me she didn't send you to buddy up with me so you'd convince me to join?" 

Letting go of him Marcus laughed and signaled the bartender for two more drinks "I'm not saying anything." 

Rubbing his neck Sebastian muttered "I bet you're not. Look you can go back to her and tell her for the hundredth fucking time that I'm not joining." 

Taking a sip of his scotch of the rocks Marcus turned to him and shrugged "hey it's no big deal to me. If you don't want to join that's cool but unfortunately for you Kathryn isn't use to hearing no." 

"I'm getting that." 

"She's going to keep pushing and coming after you until you break." 

Turning around towards the dance floor Sebastian noticed Kathryn was once again grinding up against some guy only this time it was a shorter dark skinned guy with muscles. Underneath the hot lights Sebastian couldn't help but admire her. She was sexy, beautiful but best of all unattainable. Still keeping his eyes on Kathryn he told Marcus "let her." 

Marcus noticed him staring at her and remarked "you still want her don't you?" 

"Yes and I intend on getting her." When Sebastian noticed him snicker and shake his head at this he asked "what, you don't think I will?" 

"Didn't say that" he laughed. "Look you might get her in bed but you'll never get her heart." 

Sebastian was surprised by this, so much so he pulled his eyes away from Kathryn and looked over at him skeptically. "You're of course assuming she has one." 

Marcus looked past him to Kathryn and said "oh she has one but unfortunately for you it belongs to Joshua." 

Possibly for the first time that evening all of Sebastian's senses became alert. Turning at full attention he demanded "who the hell is Joshua?" 

****** 

"I fucked up" Kathryn admitted as she sat anxiously beside her phone. 

"Katie what are you talking about?" Joshua's light laughter spilled out through the speaker. Lately when they spoke she liked to do it on speaker phone. In that way it seemed as if he was in the room with her rather than hundreds of miles away. It was stupid but it made her feel better. 

Kathryn had been putting off this phone call all weekend but she knew she had to talk to Joshua before Monday arrived and someone else told him. So Sunday morning she sat dressed in her favorite white satin pajamas thinking of how exactly to tell him. She decided the direct approach would be best. Taking a deep breath she said "he did it, Sebastian fucked Annette." 

There was a long pause on the line as she waited for his response. When she started to get anxious she said "Joshua? Joshua did you hear me?" 

"Yeah I...you have to be mistaken Kathryn. There's no way on earth Annette would go to bed with him." 

She sighed "yeah well that's what I thought too until Valmont described in far too vivid detail-" 

"There's no way!" 

The tone of his voice startled her causing her eyes to dart to the speaker as if she expected to see him there. Kathryn knew he wouldn't be happy but she didn't think he would be in such denial. "Joshua it's true they slept together. I checked into it." 

He cursed softly and seemed to mutter more to himself than to her "I can't believe she would do this. After she went on and on about waiting for marriage..." 

Hearing him talk like this her anxiety began to melt away but was quickly replaced with something else...anger. "You know you're starting to sound like a jealous boyfriend Joshua. Why is it so damn important that Annette gave her virginity up?" 

"Don't be ridiculous Kathryn" he sighed. "Annette is a friend of mine and I don't want to see her taken advantage of. I thought you were going to make sure that happened-" 

"Excuse me?" Kathryn interjected. "I never promised anything of the sort. I told you I wouldn't do anything to her and I didn't." 

"You didn't try and stop Sebastian either" 

"Yes I DID!" she yelled out getting to her feet suddenly. "I did everything possible to stop it, played every trick in the book, flew Trevor in from California for Christ sakes and I even threw myself at him!" 

There was another pause on the line before he asked "you slept with him?" 

"No we just screwed around a little." 

"Huh, so...how was he?" 

Bringing her hand to her mouth Kathryn touched her lips and grinned at the memory. "It wasn't bad" she admitted and indeed it wasn't. She enjoyed the urgency of Sebastian's kiss and the way he touched her that was both rough and delicate all at the same time. 

"Well it obviously wasn't good enough" he grumbled. 

"Fuck you!" she yelled. 

He laughed at this "I'm sorry Katie, I didn't mean that. You know you're the best." 

"Second only to Annette right?" 

"Of course not, you're second to no one. Look I was just a little taken by surprised at all of this." 

"It's fine" she muttered falling back onto her plush couch wondering if she really meant it. 

"So now that our friend Valmont has had the golden girl what is he going to do next?" 

Kathryn was tempted to tell him he was after her but decided against it since she wasn't in the mood for another bicker session. Instead she said "he's going to humiliate her of course but I'm not sure how. If he does my hold over the tribunal members will start to waver." 

"Well then you're going to have to stop him before he has a chance." 

"How do I do that?" 

"Beat him to the punch." 

A wicked smile spread over her face as she asked "Joshua are you suggesting I hurt Annette?" 

"Well it really doesn't look like you have a choice does it? Survival of the fittest Katie. Annette made her bed when she decided to let Valmont into it so any loyalty I had to her in now null and void. Now here's what you're going to do..." 

****** 

As it happened Sebastian didn't make it into school that Monday morning until the end of fifth period. Now normally he wouldn't have bothered to go at all but he had this idea of how he could exploit his triumph over Annette. It would be quick, brutal and completely humiliate her. When it was over she would be in pieces and Sebastian would be the new God of Manchester prep. 

That was the plan anyway until he decided to make a stop at the men's room for a smoke before sixth period. By the time he stepped out of the bathroom the hall's were empty of students who were all ready in class. Sebastian took his time getting to French and in doing so he overheard the most interesting conversation. 

"You stupid cunt, did you really think I wouldn't know it was you who urged Marci to speak up against me at the meeting?" Kathryn hissed at a younger girl with soft honey blond hair and a cute figure. 

The girl seemed to practically shake in the presence of Kathryn. It occurred to Sebastian then that they were probably discussing the tribunal. Knowing he should probably pretend as if he never saw them but unable to help himself he stayed where he was and continued to eavesdrop. "Kathryn I'm sorry I didn't mean to-" 

"To what Jen? Humiliate me, discredit me, what exactly were you trying to do?" 

"Nothing I swear" she pleaded. "Please Kathryn it will never happen again, I swear I'll never take Marci's word over yours." 

Stepping even closer to the quaking girl Kathryn told her "it better not happen again. As the leader of the tribunal I have top authority and if you screw with me again I won't give you the benefit of the doubt, I'll just destroy you. Got it?" 

When she was met with an eager head nod Kathryn smiled in satisfaction before strutting away in the opposite direction. For a moment Sebastian was tempted to go after her so he could gloat about what he overheard. However watching pathetic little Jen rest against the lockers in defeat a better idea came to him how he could once again show up Kathryn. 

Causally he approached Jen and asked "are you all right?" 

She looked up at him in surprise and muttered "yeah I'm fine." 

Sebastian studied her expression and body language a moment wondering if she was interested in him. He got the feeling she was a little stand offish which got him to thinking that Kathryn might have been warning her female tribunal pals away from him. If indeed she was this would make his victory even sweeter. "I couldn't help but overhear her chew you out. Does Kathryn always talk to you like that?" 

"No" she said quickly. "No it's just...why are you so interested?" 

He shrugged leaning against the locker beside her. "I'm not but you're obviously upset and I was thinking maybe I could help you. You know take your mind off of things." 

Jen scoffed skeptically as she looked up at him "you're not really known for your good deeds Sebastian." 

"No I'm not Jen" he admitted. "So what makes you think that what I'm suggesting has anything to do with being good?" 

A slow, seductive smile appeared on her lips as she at last turned to him and asked "what did you have in mind?" 

What DID he have in mind? If went off with Jen now there was no way he would have time for his plan against Annette. Then again how often does he get an opportunity such as this to both nail a beautiful girl and screw over Kathryn. Sebastian decided he could put off his humiliation of Annette until tomorrow. 

Bringing his hand up he touched her soft skin and suggested "how about we get out of here for starters. I know just the thing that will make you feel better." 

"All right let's go" 

As they started down the hall Sebastian got a sudden bolt of inspiration. Stopping in his tracks he pulled his notebook and tore a piece of paper from it. "What are you doing?" Jen asked curiously. 

"I have to leave a note for someone, it will just take a moment." 

Turning from her he pulled out a pen and then quickly scribbled a quick note to Kathryn. Her locker was luckily right there so he slid it through the crack, when Jen wasn't looking. Sliding the pen back in his school blazer he smiled in satisfaction, "I'm ready are you?" 

****** 

_Annette,_

__

_Sorry about the other night. Do you think you can please meet me at my place after school? We need to discuss some things. I promise to make it worth your while._

__

_~ S.V._

__

Staring down at his usual chicken scratch which he called hand writing Annette shook her head and sighed. When she got his note she should have torn it up on the spot. She didn't love Sebastian and yet she had gone to bed with him. They made love, had sex, what ever you want to call it and just as she suspected he didn't call after wards. Sure he took her calls but he also seemed to be putting her off. Like when he broke their date the other night with that excuse about being sick. 

However Annette was trying not to be so cynical. After all maybe he was really sick and he did ask to meet her. She was trying to be positive about this which is why she was in a cab on her way to the Valmont home. Still as much as she wanted to believe he was sincere she could get that nagging voice out of her head that was saying she was being played. 

When she arrived at Sebastian's the maid answered the door and told her that Sebastian was most likely in his room and she was welcomed to go find him. Annette had been to the Valmont penthouse once before so she knew her way around. She was on her way upstairs when she was stopped in her tracks by the sight of Kathryn Merteuil sitting poised on the couch in the living room. "What are you doing here?" 

Kathryn looked up and her and scoffed "funny I was just about to ask you that same question." 

A queasy feeling went through Annette as she stepped farther into the room and revealed "Sebastian asked me to meet him here." 

"Me too" she said reaching into her small black purse. "He left me a note." 

Annette reached out and took the note from her. It was the exact note she had received, word for word except it was addressed to Kathryn. Right then she started to believe that her suspicions regarding Sebastian were not in vain. He really had been screwing with her. Without a word to Kathryn she tossed her back the note and then stormed up stairs to Sebastian's bedroom. Kathryn followed closely behind calling out "where are you going?" 

Annette ignored her however and pushed her way into Sebastian room expecting to find him waiting for them. When she found it empty she was about to turn around, only to stop when she heard a decidedly feminine giggle come from the bathroom. Annette closed her eyes and told herself to not even bother going in there because she knew what she would find. But she did go in to that bathroom and it was even worse than she imagined. 

Without knocking she threw open the heavy bathroom door and indeed found Sebastian sitting in the bathtub with another girl. Only it wasn't just any girl, it was her old friend Jen. The two of them had been laughing and kissing but when she entered Sebastian broke away from her obviously surprised. "Annette" he exclaimed "what are you doing here?" 

She felt like crying then not because he was cheating on her but because her cynical nature had been right all along. Pulling the note from her jacket she held it up and spat at him "I got your note. Was this what you wanted me to see? You fooling around with my ex best friend?" 

Sebastian's eyes narrowed at Jen suspiciously then back at Annette. "I didn't know I swear." 

"Right, well I don't care anymore. You got what you wanted from me..." 

"It wasn't like that" he pleaded. 

Shaking her head at him as a tear that she had been fighting so hard to stop fell she whispered "fuck you." 

He called out for her to stop but she didn't listen. The only thing she heard as she made her way out the door was the sound of Kathryn's triumphant laughter. 

****** 

Sebastian once again stared dumbfounded as Annette tore out of the room and Kathryn laughed in triumph. It was a scene much to his annoyance that he was becoming familiar with. Falling back against the porcelain tub he looked over at Jen who was wearing a small knowing grin. He looked from her to Kathryn who was smiling down at him maliciously. "So" he sighed "I'm assuming this was all one big set up." 

"You are smarter than you look" Kathryn laughed. When Jen joined her in the laughter Kathryn turned to her and ordered "out." 

Jen didn't protest but simply rose from the tub, gathered her clothes and left the room. As she did Sebastian tried to piece together how his plan to put one over on Kathryn blew up in his face. Noticing the look of his face Kathryn explained "it was all very simple Sebastian. See I purposely staged that fight with Jen knowing you would over hear it and not be able to resist an easy target. I knew you would take her to bed and just so I would find out and get furious. However the note I didn't expect but that ended up coming in quite handy." 

Shaking his head Sebastian said "don't tell me. You copied the note I wrote to you and addressed it to Annette so she showed up just in time to find me naked with her best friend." 

"Exactly" she laughed sitting down on the rim of the tub. "Now not only will you not be able to destroy her but no one will know you fucked little Dorothy in the first place."  


"I wouldn't count on that bitch" 

Before she could ask what he meant by that Sebastian reached up, grabbed her by the back on the neck and pulled her into a kiss. As he did this Kathryn fell into the bathtub with a loud splash a a shriek. She was silenced however by Sebastian's mouth as he continued to brutally kiss her. Kathryn tried only for a brief moment to pull away before she eventually gave in and kissed him back. 

With one knee between his naked thighs and the other on the outside on his leg Kathryn straddled him. Her arms wrapped around his neck as one of his hands played in her hair. Sebastian's other hand caressed her wet body which her school uniform was desperately clinging to. When his hand began to kneed her breast through her shirt and pinch her hard nipple Kathryn let out a strangled moan as she continued kissing him. 

For a brief moment Sebastian forgot who it was he was kissing and caressing. He let himself get lost in the sensation of her touch until he thought he would explode. Kathryn's hand slid down his body until it rested on his throbbing cock causing Sebastian to pull away from her mouth and groan "oh Katie." 

Almost instantly Kathryn pulled away from him. Her face suddenly cold she ordered him "don't ever call me that." 

He was going to ask her why not when the answer dawned on him. Touching her face he asked "does Joshua call you that?" 

Kathryn's green eyes went wide as she moved away from him to the other side of the tub. Studying him she asked "who told you about Joshua?" 

"Does it really matter? Answer the question." 

"Yes he does" she said looking away from him. 

Sebastian watched her intently realizing this wasn't the same girl who was laughing so triumphantly a few minutes ago. Intrigued he asked "how come you didn't tell me you had a boyfriend?" 

"You never asked" she replied simply. "Does it matter?" 

"Oh something tells me it does" he laughed. "So tell me about him." 

"Why?" 

"Because I want to know about the guy you deem worthy enough to call you Katie." 

"Fine" she said with a shrug that she tried to play off as casual but he didn't buy it. "His name is Joshua Kensington, he goes to Yale, he's gorgeous, rich, smart, funny-" 

"Yeah he sounds perfect but is he good in bed?" 

With a smirk Kathryn told him "he's the best. I'd be surprised if your bed room skill could measure one tenth of his." 

Sebastian scowled at this and his fists tightened not only because she was challenging his bedroom skills but for once in his life Sebastian felt jealous. It wasn't a feeling he was even remotely familiar with especially when it came to girls. However the idea that there was a guy out there who could get under Kathryn's skin, who could make her smile and moan in longing aggravated him beyond words. 

"So let me ask you something, what would this boyfriend of yours say if he found out to slept around behind his back?" 

To his amazement Kathryn revealed "it would hardly be a surprise. Joshua and I have somewhat of an open relationship but in the end we are truly the only one's who can satisfy each other." 

"How touching" he spat. "So are you in love with him?" 

The superior look vanished off of Kathryn's face. Getting to her feet she climbed out of the tub and sighed "as much fun as this has been I have to get going." 

"You're avoiding the question so I'm going to assume that's a yes." When Kathryn only rolled her eyes at this and started for the door Sebastian called out to her "good god you are in love with him aren't you? And here I thought you were incapable of such emotions." 

Turning around Kathryn explained not in a cold tone but a rational one. "You don't know me Sebastian. You never have and you never will." 

****** 

The following morning at school Annette has resigned herself to forgetting all about Sebastian. She would no longer cry or get upset about him. It was in the past, as was there night together. Annette was no longer going to give him the power to hurt her. As far as she was concerned Sebastian Valmont was just a bad memory. 

Unfortunately he was a bad memory that refused to go away. Just as she was crossing the quad to first period Sebastian came up from behind her. "We need to talk" he said his tone surprisingly urgent. 

Annette glanced at him quickly before lamenting "we have nothing to talk about and I have to get to class." 

"It can wait" he insisted as he took her by the arm and pulled her over to a nearby bench. 

"Sebastian let go of me!" Annette pulled away and started to stalk off when he jumped in front of her blocking her way. "Get out of my way Sebastian. What we had is over with-" 

"I agree" he replied calmly. "It's done with and I see no reason to further peruse it." 

She looked up at his with a look of part shock and part disgust. "You take my virginity, cheat on me and now you see no reason to further pursue it?"  


"Annette" Sebastian sighed. "You weren't in love with me anymore than I loved you. We went to bed because he both wanted it." 

She laughed shortly "oh you think you're that irresistible?" 

"That had nothing to do with it. Admit it you went to bed with me because you were sick of being Machesters favorite little princess of virtue." 

Although she knew there was a tiny bit of truth in what he was saying she wasn't about to admit to it. "That's not true." 

Sebastian rolled his eyes "fine, whatever. That's not the reason I wanted to talk to you anyway." 

Annette eyed him suspiciously "what do you want?" 

Reaching into his jacket Sebastian pulled out a brown folder and handed it to her. "In there you'll find everything you need to take down the tribunal. Are you interested?" 

- to be continued (Please Review) 


	5. Wicked Game

**The Tribunal**

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**Summary:When Annette threatens to bring down the tribunal Kathryn will stop at nothing to destroy her first. However she is knocked for a loop when a confrontation with Sebastian ends unexpectadly.**

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**Authors Note: Hey I know I haven't updated this sooner but the thing is it's twice as long as a regular chapter so it takes me twice as long to write. Anyway I just wanted to address some things people have asked me about in either reviews or emails regarding this story.**

**(1) Annette will play a much different role in this story that in my others. If you're sick of seeing Annette miserable at the end of each story you'll probably be happy with the outcome of this fic.**

**(2) This will be a Kat/Seb story but I want to lamment that Kathryn does LOVE Joshua and that just won't go away. Not easily anyway**

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**Chapter 5: Wicked Game**

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"It's over Kathryn" 

Annette stood over her nemesis with her head held high and a confident smile that seemed almost foreign on her pretty face. Not that the blond ever lacked confidence but unlike some of her peers she didn't have the need to reign her ego over others. She was always kind, thoughtful and above all else self less. 

But not today. 

Today she was putting her need to see the queen bee get what was coming to her, ahead of her morals and values. For once it was Annette who was standing over Kathryn with a phony condescending smile that masked a world of hate and loathing. Ever since they had met three years ago it was always that same bullshit expression of fake friendliness that everyone but Annette bought into. She witnessed as said bitch tore apart people's lives and hearts, including her own, all the while wearing that smile. Oh how she always wanted to smack it off of her! Well now she would and she didn't have to resort to violence to do it. 

For her part Kathryn sat seated on the folded bleachers before her looking up at Annette completely serene and calm. Her legs folded under her and her hands resting atop her crisp, pleated skirt. However behind her passive visage lay boiling rage and hatred. First at being summoned to the empty school gymnasium by little miss Kansas, then having to play along with her mind teasers. Kathryn was assuming that Annette did have something up her sleeve but she was hardly concern. After all what could Nancy Drew possibly have on her? 

Still she played along with extreme caution choosing to put on her sweet and innocent persona even though she knew Annette saw through it. "What's over with?" she asked keeping her voice curious yet regal. "What are you talking about Annette?" 

Her soft blue eyes went hard as she glared at her, hating that patronizing tone in her voice. Kathryn still believed nothing could touch her. Well she was about to be sorely mistaken. Although Annette had planned on dragging out her questioning, she was getting impatient and really didn't want to be in Kathryn's presence any longer than was necessary. Reaching into her small brown leather bag, ironically a gift from Sebastian when he was still courting her, Annette pulled out a carefully stapled set of papers. She smiled down at it before tossing it to the brunette and explaining "this, is what I'm talking about. Should make a good read, huh?" 

Kathryn caught the paper as it was tossed at her so carelessly then looked up at Annette sharply before examining it's contents. On first inspection it appeared to be just the latest issue of Manchester's school paper, The Gazette. Then as she looked closer the front headline caught her attention. 

_*~ The Manchester Tribunal: Myth, Legend, Reality ~* _

_Their Secrets Exposed Including Their Infamous Ringleader_

Under the word ringleader was Kathryn's senior picture staring back at her. For a brief moment as her eyes scanned over the article she remained calm refusing to show that bitch Hardgrove even a moment of fear or anger until she decided if it really was dire as all that. 

It very much was. 

In the four page article all of the tribunals secrets were there including a step by step description of their initiation process. Every crime they covered up, every high standing official they used was named along with a list of the current members. It was all their before her in black and white. For once Kathryn was completely stunned and speechless. 

This had not gone unnoticed by Annette who's smile only widened when she saw how Kathryn's fist was now squeezing the paper and her eyes were wide as saucers. Beaming proudly she explained "I'll be running it in next weeks issue of the paper. I was going to run it in today's but I thought it was much more fair if I got your side of things first Kathryn." Removing the small black tape recorder from her bag she held it in front of Kathryn and asked with all the fake sincerity she could muster, "would you like to make a comment on the allegations?" 

At last Kathryn looked up at her, the phony pleasantness now completely gone and replaced with searing hatred. God how she wanted to rip that witch in two but she had to settle for the garbage she had in her hands. Holding the paper up she tore it in two and then tossed it to the ground in disgust. Her eyes now burning into Annette's she demanded "what the FUCK do you think you're doing?" 

Annette's expression went innocent as she replied "what, did I spell your name wrong? Terribly sorry" she sighed now openly mocking her. Holding the recorder even closer to her she pressed "comment?" 

Unable to hold back her rage a minute longer Kathryn sprang to her feat and in one swift motion knocked the tape recorder from her hand causing it to crash nosily against the hard gym floor. Without missing a beat she lunged at Annette but the blond quickly backed away. Stopping herself from doing something violent and messy Kathryn stood mere inches from her opponent and hissed "who gave you this information?" 

Crossing her arms to her chest Annette shot back "what makes you think I didn't get it on my own?" 

Kathryn let out a cruel, humorless chuckle "don't flatter yourself dear. We both know you couldn't find your way out of a paper bag with a flashlight. Now who told you this?" 

"It's..." she stopped with a cold smile and finished "sorry I'm sworn to secrecy but lets just say it was a mutual friend of ours." 

That was all the hint Kathryn needed. As her eyes closed and her body tensed she almost laughed but didn't because it was so obvious. She should have known better, she should have been watching her back and now she might loose everything because of that mistake. Taking a deep breath Kathryn sighed "Valmont." 

"Give the girl a prize" Annette replied dryly. "Yes I guess you could call it Sebastian's version of a parting gift. At first I thought it was some sort of set up arranged by you but then I realized no, he just wants to see you taken down as much as I do." 

"You have no idea" she muttered turning on her heels, the leather of her loafers squeaking against the gym floor. "Why are you doing this?" Kathryn asked honestly curious. "I mean you're the one with all the good intentions and morals. Why are you destroying these people's lives?"  


Her expression suddenly hard Annette waited a beat before revealing "not there's, yours. You see when the truth comes out it won't hurt them, if anything they'll look like just helpless victims of peer pressure. You on the other hand, well you'll look like the devil in carnet which lets be honest Katie isn't that far from the truth." 

"Don't call me Katie" she warned. 

Annette studied her curiously as if she was examining a Picasso. "Joshua calls you that doesn't he? Yeah he told me that one time" she chuckled softly "he was trying to convince me you had a soft side." 

Kathryn's emerald eyes went wide in realization as she stepped closer and sneered "Joshua, you're doing this because of him aren't you? You want him back, I knew it!"  


With an amused smile Annette shook her head and replied "I know you like to think that I want everything you have but I don't. The fact of the matter is I got over Joshua a long time ago Kathryn but you're right this does have to do with him. I want to see you pay for all the heartache you've caused not only me but countless others. Now since you obviously don't want to comment on my story I'm going to run it as is." 

"Oh like hell you are" Kathryn spat practically trembling with anger. "That piece of shit will never see the light of day. If you even THINK about publishing it I'll not only destroy you but your dear father as well." 

She expected that would get some kind of reaction out of the blond but no she just stood there arms firmly planted across her chest and a cool expression across her face. Taking a step towards her Annette told her "do your worse. Go ahead, ruin my life, play whatever games you want because no matter what you do the article WILL run. That copy you tore up a moment ago wasn't my only one and as for my father, he's a lot smarter than you think. He can take care of himself." 

This new found confidence in Annette was more than a little off putting to Kathryn. She was use to her backing down and letting her get her way but this time it was evident things had changed. Still Kathryn wasn't about to be scared off, especially not by the so called goody-goody hick. 

Keeping her face expressionless she reached out and grabbed Annette by the back of the hair tugging her face close to hers. Just for the briefest of seconds she saw a look of feat flash through her blue eyes but it was quickly replaced with determination. Ignoring it Kathryn whispered in her ear "you just broke an important rule princess." 

"Which is?" Annette asked grimacing through the pain. 

"Don't fuck with me. Now I'm telling you that article will not run because if it does I won't hesitate to gut you myself." 

"I'm terrified" 

"You should be because some day very soon I'm going to pay you back for this. Until then" Kathryn kissed her cheek before pushing her away roughly and storming off. 

Annette stumbled backwards but quickly found her footing. Wiping her cheek where Kathryn had deposited that phony sentiment, she watched as the brunette charged out through the heavy doors that led outside, her tartan skirt flapping angrily behind her. When the doors slammed shut Annette sighed, relieved it was over with but proud that she had done it. 

Kathryn on the other hand was boiling over with rage. She had already come up with various scenarios to stop that article from seeing the light of day but that wasn't enough to calm her. No, someone was going to pay for this and she had a pretty good idea who that someone was going to be. 

****** 

Sebastian looked into the goody bag and grinned. It was full of all sorts of fun toys that would help any hot blooded male get his rocks off. Reaching down into the powder blue bag he pulled out a pair of handcuffs and suggested "perhaps we should start with these." 

The two blondes who were occupying his bed with him, Nancy and Michelle looked at each other and grinned wickedly. Apparently it was fine by them but then they weren't about to complain. After all it wasn't every day they got to skip out of class early to go to the Four Seasons with Sebastian Valmont. Usually when the girls went on dates with their respected boyfriends it was just some lame movie or dinner before they took back to their over priced cars to screw. Sebastian though was classy, taking them to one of the nicer hotels in the city, and a suite to top it off all so they could engage in a little fun. Kinky fun mind you but neither girl minded much. 

"Handcuffs later" Michelle teased suddenly taking chargeas she crawled over to him and pulled her skimpy bra off. "First I want to get my mouth on you." 

Sebastian smiled obviously pleased with this new direction. Falling back against the plush pillows he allowed the pretty blond pull his silk boxers off and then flick her wet tongue against the sensetive tip of his errection. He nearly moaned at this but experience had taught him how to stifle his feelings. Sebastian wanted to remain in control at all times, especially in bed. 

As Michelle went to work on him he allowed himself to melt into the sensations as his mind drifted off. The reason he had decided to hide out at his suite, which he had been keeping ever since arriving back in the city was simple. He was in desperate need of some privacy. His father's new soon to be wife, who Sebastian had gone to bed with, had now moved into their place permently. Since she didn't work, as far as he could tell, she was always at home and always bugging him. He got the feeling she wanted to fuck him once again but he most definetly wasn't interested. Deciding against putting up with horny step mommy he took off to the Four Seasons. 

So instead of staying at his empty suite by himself he invited two of his fellow classmates along. He chose Michelle and Nancy namely because they were hot and because they were both in his sociology class which he was skipping out on, close proximity and all that. Sebastian had heard that they were easy even though they had boyfriends and he was happy to learn that rumor was true. 

Looking over at the other blond, the one not currently performing fillatio on him, he noticed her watching them as she absent mindedly touched herself. Picking his head up Sebastian commanded "come here." 

Her pretty face wrinkled in hesitation as she asked "why?" 

It had become evident early on that Nancy was the more hesitant of the two but when Sebastian was done she would be an even bigger slut than her friend. Rolling his eyes at her he spat "I want to eat you." 

"Oh" she exclaimed, a smile curling on her cheery lips. She crawled over to him and then akwardly placed herself over his mouth. When she was immeidatly met with a wet tongue against her sex she let out a soft, throaty moan. 

As Sebastian got busy going down on her and Michelle continued her sloppy sucking everybody got so lost in what they were doing they didn't even hear the door open. Sebastian hadn't heard anything, perhaps because Nancy's thighs were clasped so tightly around his ears, until the snapping started. Still he didn't removed his mouth from her snatch until he heard one of the girls exclaim "oh my god!"  


Reluctantly he pulled his mouth away and raised his head to see someone standing near the bed snapping pictures with what looked like his camera. The flash blinded him momentarily so he couldn't tell who it was. It wasn't until she pulled the camera away from her face that he saw it was a grinning Kathryn. Dressed in her Manchester unifrom she wore the navy blue sweater loosely around her shoulders and her plaid skirt seemed to be a few inches shorter than normally. As she contiuned to snap away she asked "well what do we have here?" 

Sebastian let his head fall against the hard head board as he grumbled "I could have sworn I locked that door." 

"Oh you did" she explained pleasently. Reaching into the pocket of her white dress shirt she pulled out a plastic door key "the desk clerk was nice enough to give a key. I think he thought I was part of your...party." 

He leered at her "well then by all means join us. Why don't you strip down and get to work on Michelle she looks like she could use some...relief." 

Barely batting an eyelash Kathryn remained calm and pleasent as she gave Michelle a once over and replied "I don't think so. I rather have you all to myself Sebastian." 

Her tone was seductive and suggestive but Sebastian knew otherwise. She was up to something but he couldn't be sure what, normally he would be intrigued but at the moment his main concern was getting off. Not playing head games with Kathryn. Sebastian was about to tell her to fuck off when Michelle did it for him. "Duh! We're in the middle of something" she exclaimed annoyed. "Come back later." 

"Yeah" Nancy added for unnecessary emphasis. 

Kathryn raised an eyebrow and Sebastian knew then he wasn't going to get laid. If only because she wouldn't stand being talked down to, especially by the likes of these girls. 

Smiling cheerfully Kathryn told them "all right, I'll leave you alone. I guess you won't mind then if I get these pictures developed and show them to your boyfriends. Tom and David right?" 

"No!" Nancy yelled out immeidatly flying off the bed. "You can't show that to them!" 

"Shut the fuck up Nancy" Michelle hissed at her. Turning an evil eye on Kathryn she replied confidently "she's bluffing." 

"Am I? Well okay I won't show it to the boys. Maybe I'll just pass them around the school. Then everyone can know what gigantic sluts you two are." 

Michelle's eyes went wide, realizing Kathryn wasn't playing. She looked to Sebastian for help but in merly rolled his eyes and sighed. This was Kathryn's fun and he could care less anymore. When she finally got it that she wasn't going to win this battle Michelle got up from the bed and quickly dressed along with Nancy. As she started to leave she stopped in front on Kathryn held out her hand and demanded "the film." 

"Oh yes" Kathryn smiled as she opened the camera and showed it to the blond 

With a bored sigh Sebastian explained to her "it's empty. She was bluffing." 

"I knew it!" 

"Bye, bye" Kathryn gave her a final push out the door and then tossed the camera carelessly on the couch. "Alone at last." 

"My that was alot of trouble to go to just to get me alone" he told her trying his best to appear uninterested in whatever she was offering when the truth of the matter was he was very interested. 

With a seductive smile Kathryn climbed onto the king size bed and slowly crawled over to him swinging her hips suggestively. "Now it's our time to play" she purred resting herself on his lap which was now once again covered in his silk boxers. 

She felt good on top of him and the only thing protecting them from each others sexes was two pieces of thin material. With that knowlege sebastian trying his damndest to not get aroused because he knew she was up to no good. Glaring at her he sighed "well actually I was about to take a nap so maybe some other time." 

Kathryn pouted then leaned in closer to him until there mouths were an inch apart. "Please" she whimpered. 

That one word was enough to make his cock jump but he quickly swallowed his urge to toss her on her back and screw her sensless. Instead he demanded "what are you after?" 

"Nothing" she whispered running her hand through his hair. Sitting back up Kathryn noticed the blue goody bag and picked it up. As she peered inside a smirk graced her lips. "What do we have in here?" Reaching inside she pulled out a stiff white dildo and asked in amusement "and what were you going to do with this?" 

"Use your imagination" he sneered. 

"Hmm" Kathryn began to caress the hard object her eyes glued to Sebastian's. When she saw she had his attention she braught it slowly to her mouth, flicked the top of it before sucking it into her mouth. As he watched her perform a blow job on the object Sebastian once again started to feel a stiring in his pants that this time refused to go away. He tried to look away from her but he couldn't escape the sight. 

Finally he relied on his stand by weapon on choice, nastiness. "Well it looks like someone has been practicing. Color me shocked, guess all that practice you get with the headmaster must be paying off." 

When she pulled the dildo from her mouth and her eyes narrowed at him he thought he finally won. However instead she tossed the phalix aside and pulled out the handcuffs from the bag. Twirling them around her finger she asked playfully "want to play a game?" 

"Absolutly not" he laughed as he sat up and started to move her off of him. However before he could get up Kathryn grabbed him by the back of the head and drew him into a kiss. Unable to resist her seering hot mouth Sebastian kissed her back, wrapping his hands around her tiny frame and pulling her closer. 

Kathryn was stronger than she looked. Her mouth still hungrily kissing his, she pulled a hand away and pushed him back into the bed. When Sebastian felt her grab his writs and pin them to the top of his head he right away knew what she was going to do. He struggled only briefly until she began grinding her pelvic against him. All hope was officially lost. 

Breaking away from him she sat up and smiled at her handiwork. Sebastian pulled against the cuffs now holding his arms above his head and sighed. "So what's this game of yours." 

"It's easy to play actually and quite fun." Pulling her hand back she suddenly smacked him hard across the face. With a satisfied smirk she finished "for me anyway." 

The hit stung but it angered him more than anything. "What the fuck is your problem?" 

Kathryn hit him again only this time she used her fist. The smile dissapearing off her face she hissed "my PROBLEM is you screwing me over you stupid fuck. Did you honestly think I'd not figure out it was you who sold me out to that little bitch?" 

"Truthfully? Yes" he replied smugly knowing damn well how she would react. 

Like he thought she once again delivered a series of hard hits. "Do you have any idea what you did? Annette is going to run an article in the damn school paper about the tribunal. If she does everything I've worked for will be lost. My life will be over!" 

Sebastian wasn't exactly moved. "Don't be so melodramatic, it won't be over just destroyed." With a smug smile he told her "just like I promised." Anger flashed over her pretty face right before she slapped him hard yet again. Sebastian let out a loud laugh "so is there a plan here or are you going to just keep slapping me for the rest of the afternoon." 

"Now that you mention it there is" she told him, her tone suddenly light and airy. Reaching back she grabbed her small purse and looked inside before producing a small but very sharp switchblade. 

At the sight of the shiny, dangerous object Sebastian began to tense. It was possible he had finally crossed the line as far as Kathryn was concerned and he wasn't really sure what she was capable of when provoked. Judging my the look in her eyes it wasn't good. Swallowing his fear he asked "what are you going to do with that?" 

"Well you see when that article is published not only will I be exposed but also all of the tribunal members as well. When and if I go down I plan on taking every last person with me...including you." Bringing the knife down to his bare chest she let the blade gently caress his skin making Sebastian tense underneath. "Since you've been so reluctant to join the tribunal I guess I'm just going to have to skip a few steps and initiate you myself. So baby where do you want your scar?" 

His eyes went wide when he realized what she planned to do. "Don't you fucking dare!"  


"Oh are you going to stop me?" Kathryn let out a malevolent laugh "well if you're not going to play I'll just have to find a place for you. Let's see..." Moving down his body she slid the knife along before stopping at the edge of his boxers. Peering underneath she giggled "this could be an interesting place." 

"You put that thing near my dick and so help me they'll be bringing your body out of here in a body bag." 

"Tsk, tsk" she teased. "Fine if you're going to whine about it I guess I'll just have to settle for your chest." Sitting up on her back legs Kathryn braught the knife up to his pecks stopping right above the nipple. "Now this will hurt only a little...or a real lot." 

With a deviant grin she cut into him making a mark nearly three inches long. It hurt a hell of a lot more than Sebastian thought it would. Arching his back he groaned and was about to end this for good until he looked down at her. Leaning over him Kathryn slowly licked the gash on his chest along with the blood dripping down. The sight and the look in her eyes when she did it caused Sebastian to feel strangely...aroused. It was incrediably twisted but he found it sexy and once again started to get hard. 

Looking down Kathryn noticed this and a strange look appeared on her face. "This is turning you on? Valmont is into S&M who knew? It's too bad you're such a miserable prick, we could have had some fun. Oh well one more mark and you'll be one of us." 

It was those words that finally awoke Sebastian from his lust induced fog. This had all gone far enough and Kathryn had her revenge for the time being. Just as she was about to make the second mark that would complete the tribunal T, Sebastian let out a chuckle. Kathryn looked up at him confused "you find this amusing?" 

"Well yes" he admitted "because I know something that you don't." 

"I sincerly doubt it" she snickered. "What is it?" 

Pulling his hands free suddenly he exclaimed "they're fake handcuffs brain trust. They don't actually lock." Sebastian laughed when he saw the look of fear flash in her green eyes. Before she could jump up and away he slammed her onto her back and pinned her small body to the bed. "Now that you've had your fun it's my turn." 

Struggling underneath his grip she screamed out "get off of me! Let me go retard!" 

"Why would I do that? Now that I'm finally in the position to pay you back for all the crap you've done to me ever since I arrived." 

"What I've done to you?" she exclaimed. "You're the one who's been making my life miserable! If you just joined-" 

"I'm not joining your little cult, get it through your thick head _Katie_! No matter how many cuts you make on me" he snarled as he reached over and grabbed the switchblade from her. "Speaking of which I think it's about time I return the favor what do you say? Where would you like it?" 

As her lower mody squirmed desperetly underneath him trying to escape Kathryn called out "HELP! He-" 

Sebastian slammed his hand over her mouth "knock it off. You probably put the do not disturb sign up am I right." When a look of regret and anger passed through her eyes he got his answer. Laughing Sebastian pushed her plaid skirt up and ran the blade over her panties. Kathryn's body suddenly went still and she stopped screaming. Now breathing heavily out of her mouth her eyes locked on his. 

Pulling his eyes away from her for just a second he looked down at her soft thighs and noticed her T scar on the inside. Grinning he ran the knife over it and asked "perhaps I should put it right here huh? That would probably be hard to explain to all your tribunal buddies." His eyes on her lammented coldly "especially Joshua." 

"Don't..." she warned her voice filled with ice. 

Sebastian braught the knife down, still gripping her writs tightly with his free hand, and was just about to cut her when he pulled away at the last second. When he saw Kathryn flinch in relief in almost smiled, almost. Instead he moved his hand towards her panties and ran the blade against the smooth material. As he did this she made a sound that was almost like a gasp or possibly a moan. In one quick motion he used the edge of the knife to cut the thin fabric on her underwear. Glancing down at his handiwork he noticed a wetness start to develop against the dark fabric of the silk. It was then he realized with perverse delight that she was getting off on this whole thing. 

Smirking Sebastian moved back up her body and asked "enjoying yourself Kathryn?" 

"Fuck you!" she snarled "I hate you!" 

"Right back at you baby" he whispered just as he bent back down to crush his lips to hers. 

Kathryn squirmed under his touch, refusing to open her mouth to him. Then just as he was about to pull away Sebastian rested his palm on her mound. Her eyes shot open and a soft moan escaped her lips. Sensing she was more into it than she acted he pressed his hand harder and ran a hand down her slit, pushing the flimsy material of her now ruined panites away. At that Kathryn began to buck against him and suddenly started to return his kiss. 

As they kissed and he started to move his figers within her Sebastian tried to figure out what the hell was going on. Just mere moments ago Kathryn was swearing she hated him and felt nothing but disgust towards him now she was mewing in pleasure over his touch. If he lived to be a hundread Sebastian wouldn't be able to understand this girl. 

She was now practically dripping as he fingered her. Pulling away from her mouth he asked "would you like me to stop now?" 

"Would you like me to remove your balls now?" she shot back. "Ahhh!" 

Sebastian dipped down and kissed her neck as he let her hands go free. He did it not even thinking she would try to get away but of course she did. Almost immeidatly after he let her go Kathryn pushed him away with surprising force then hit him hard across the face. As she sprang up Sebastian turned and grabbed her by the arms tossing her back to the bed. Kathryn let out a loud squeal, ducked him and pushed him back on the bed. They wrestled like this until Kathryn eventually ended up on top, straddling Sebastian's waist with his errection pressing firmly against her sex. With only the soft, thin silk seperating them she gasped in obvious pleasure. 

Sebastian wasn't sure what she was going to do next. As usual she took him completely by surprise when she started to gyrate and grind herself against him. Watching Kathryn moving above him in obvious arousal was almost too much for him to take. If she didn't stop her movments he would come right then. Sebastian realized he had to have her now. 

Grabbing her by the waist he quickly tossed her onto her back and mounted her. Kathryn's eyes went wide in surprise but she didn't stop him. Infact when he reached up and pulled her skirt up around her waist and pulled his boxers down she only opened her legs widder to him. Sebastian looked down at her wishing he had fully undressed her first but he couldn't wait any longer. He had enough god damn foreplay for one day. 

In one swift beautiful motion he entered her and from there on in everything was a blur of feelings and emotions. This was a first for Sebastian seeing as usually he could remember every thrust and position but looking back all he recalled precisly was the way it felt. 

Tight, wet, and hot. Warmness all around him as he pumped endlessly inside her. Kathryn's legs had been around him as she let him ride her. Occasionally their eyes would meet and immedatly she would pull him into a kiss. Sebastian wasn't sure how long it laster but he knew she came first and he followed not long after, emptying himself inside of her. 

Normally he would pull away then, maybe have a smoke but instead he continued kissing her, rubbing her. It shocked even him when only a few minutes later he was hard once again. As soon as Kathryn noticed this she pushed him onto his back and then straddled him. Guiding him back inside her she held him there as she reached up and violently ripped her shirt off followed by her bra. That alone was enough to make him come but he stopped himself and let her ride him 

They fucked for what seemed like hours, never saying a word to each other the whole time. The only thing that mattered to them was getting off and neither wanted to think about the reasons behind it. For his part Sebastian didn't want her to leave his bed, he didn't want to leave her and that was a first for him. Needing anyone or anything was a completely foreign concept and not one he was at all comfortable with. 

When at last he could go on no more he pulled out of her and rolled over to his side. Sebastian was sweaty, tired and soar from the beating he had taken earlier but he hadn't wanted to break away from her. He convinced himself it was a game and whoever tired out first was the loser. Apparenly though in this game they were both losers because Kathryn too was resting on her side tired and exahusted. 

For a long while the two stayed like that, completely lost in their own thoughts. When he realized that she hadn't said anything and hadn't even looked at him Sebastian reached out and touched Kathryn's back with surprising gentleness. "Are you okay?" 

She turned back to him a confused expression on her face and muttered "yeah, I'm fine." Sitting up suddenly Kathryn gattered one of the white sheets around her naked body and sighed. "I have to get going." 

Sebastian sat up on his elbows as he watched her get up and start to rummage around the room for her clothes. Her movements were quick but akward, not her usually graceful self. After studying her a moment he asked "where are you going?" 

"Home" she replied simply as she buttoned up her blouse. 

"You don't have to go." Sebastian wondered why he said that, he never asked them to stay afterwards. He certainly didn't act as if he cared because of course he never did. Why was he doing this? He should just keep his mouth shut. 

Kathryn shot him a quick glance as she grabbed her purse and replied "yes I do." Turning on her heels she took a few quick steps towards the door and then stopped. Swinging back around she faced him, her expression not hard. "This never happened, understand?" 

Normally he would tease her at this point but he didn't this time perhaps because he didn't have the energy. Instead he simply nodded dully and told her "fine, whatever you say." 

Kathryn nodded solemly and looked like she had more to say but quickly shut her mouth and left. As he heard the heavy hotel door close Sebastian let out a sigh and collapsed back into the messy bed. He would think about what just happened later. Right now he needed some sleep. 

****** 

"God I hate him" Kathryn exclaimed later that night as she fell back on the antique lounger. 

Marcus who was sitting across the room from her at her parents piano stopped the soft melody he had been playing. Looking over at his friend with a semi amused smile he remarked "I take it you're referring to Sebastian again. Is he still rubbing you the wrong way?" 

"What?!" She nearly shouted as she bolted suddenly upright, nearly falling off her couch at the same time. Damnit her corrdination was all off today! Ever since...well she didn't want to think about that but she did want to know what Marcus was referring to. He didn't know about what happened between Sebastian and her in the hotel room, at least to her knowledge. Straightening herself up she demanded "what do you mean by that?" 

Marcus laughed "calm down, I just meant things must have not gone well when you went to see him today." 

Her anxiety increasing she asked "how did you know I went to see him?" 

"Andy told me about how he gave Annette the information on the tribunal and you went to confront him. How did it go?" 

Kathryn immediatly calmed down at this then chidded herself for getting so worked up to begin with. Of course Marcus didn't know what happened between her and Sebastian. He couldn't know and if it was up to her he never would, in fact no one would. 

Attempting her typical confident smile she explained "it went fine. He of course admitted to doing it and then we...faught but it didn't really accomplish anything." 

Getting up from his seat at the piano bench Marcus moved over towards her. The whole time his deep brown eyes studied her intently wondering just what it was she was hidding from him. As he sat down beside her he asked "did anything else happen?" 

As soon as he said it Kathryn flashed back to earier that day. Being in bed with him, letting him inside her and the way he touched her as they fucked. It all seemed so real, so vivid, and so very intense. 

Too intense. 

Shaking her head of the memory Kathryn suddenly got to her feet forgetting for a fleeting moment that Marcus was still in the room. She couldn't beleive she had gone to bed with him. It was incrediably stupid and reckless seeing as Sebastian was possibly one of the most dangerous enemies she had ever had. He already was causing so much distruction to her life with the promise to do more. Kathryn should be destroying him, not allowing him to fuck her brains out. 

"Kathryn?" Marcus called to her. "Kathryn are you okay?" 

Breaking from her thoughts she turned to him and once again forced a smile. "Yes I'm fine just a little tense. I think I'm just going to take a valium or something." 

As she walked to her bathroom and started to rummage through the medicine cabinete she heard Marcus footsteps behind her. He stopped in the doorway and continued to eye her curiously. "I think I know what your problem is" he said at last. 

Kathryn dropped the bottle of pills in her hand causing them to scatter into the sink bellow. She realized her hands were shaking and that if she didn't knock it the fuck off Marcus would figure out something happened if he hadn't already. Taking a breath she asked him slightly irritated "oh? What's my problem?" 

Marcus stepped futher into the room and came up beside her. Placing an arm around her waist he replied "you miss Joshua don't you?" 

This should have made her feel better that Marcus guessed the wrong reason for her tension. However it just made her feel worse. Ever since her and Joshua had gotten together they had an unspoken rule that they each could sleep with whomever they wanted so long as the other person didn't object. Well Joshua didn't even know Sebastian so she doubted it would matter much to him if he found out they went to bed together. And yet Kathryn felt as if she was carrying a weight of guilt around with her which was a completely foreign feeling to her. 

She always enjoyed the men she fucked and yet they were never like Joshua. They couldn't touch her like he could or make her feel like he did. There were something even when she would be fucking a guy and she would pretend it was Joshua. Sex with Sebastian though had been different. Kathryn hadn't thought about Joshua once during it, only after when they were laying in that large bed together and she had the urge to roll over and fall asleep on his chest. The guilt had hit her then that she had enjoyed it so much. Now she was craving Sebastian just like Joshua and she hated it. Christ she hated him. 

Looking up at Marcus she admitted "yes I do miss him. I would give anything for him to come home..." 

"Well if it's any consulation I'm sure he feels the same way" 

Kathryn snickered "please something tells me he has plenty of girls to occupy his time at Yale." 

Marcus gently touched her face and forced her to look over at him. With a reasuring smile he told her "but they're not you. Come on Kathryn every one knows how he feels about you. As much as you two like to skirt around the issue, you love each other. No matter who comes along they'll never get in the way of that." 

Looking off into the mirror Kathryn stared back at herself and smiled faintly. He was right no one could come between her and Joshua. Not some airhead sorority girl and certianly not Valmont. Holding her head up she replied "you're right Marcus and it's time I stop worrying about this. Besides I asked you over here for a reason." 

"What's that?" 

Walking back to her bedroom Kathryn pulled out a cigarrette and lit it as she laid back on her bed. "We need to make sure Annette doesn't run that article. Now I've been stratergizing all day how to save out collective asses and I belive I came up with a solution." 

Taking a seat on her couch Marcus leaned forward and inquired "and what is that? Something legal I hope." 

"Completely" she assured him. "I've decided that the best way to get to the little bitch is to send someone to get close to her. So close in fact that he could convince her not to run the article." 

"He?" Marcus asked with a raise of his eyebrow. "So then I take it by close you're not talking about friendship." 

Kathryn nodded with a decidedly wicked grin on her face. Moving closer to him she slid a hand up his pant leg and whispered "something tells me you're just the man for the job. You're charming, intellegent, not bad on the eyes-" 

"And Annette knows I'm friends with you. She'll know it's a set up" he argued. 

"Yes but she also knew Sebastian was a player but that didn't stop her from going to bed with him. Come on Marcus" Kathryn cooed in his ear. "You know you're the only guy who can make this work." 

With a smirk Marcus ran a dark skinned finger down her mouth and whispered back "what's in it for me?" 

The seductive smile on her face seemed to widen as she moved even closer to him. As her hand rested on top of his burgonning groin she replied in a sing song voice "oh I'm sure we can come _up_ with something?" 

****** 

_Sometimes, while meditating on these things in solitude, I've got up in a sudden terror, and put on my bonnet to go see how all was at the farm_

Annette kept reading that line of her book over and over again but couldn't seem to concentrate. It was one of her favorite books about an ultimately doomed love affair, a topic she seemed to have vas experience of. Usually when she had no problem getting lost in the story but today she just couldn't do it. The strange thing was she didn't have any other distractions in her life so their should be nothing else occupying her thoughts. 

She was just bored. There was really no other word for it. Sure she was thankful that she was healthy, her father was well, she was doing good in school and had a bright future as a doctor to look forward to but that all seemed so far away. Right now there was nothing in her life she was excited about. Well there was one thing, seeing Kathryn taken down next week but even that did nothing for her. Annette thought when she finally got the best of Kathryn it would make her feel happiness, pride, something. It just didn't seem to matter anymore. 

Earlier Annette began to examine this feeling and wondered perhaps if she wasn't over Sebastian yet. She had liked him alot and enjoyed the little time they spent together but no that hadn't braught on these feelings of depression. After all in she was honest with herself she would admit she barely knew Sebastian and you can't really miss someone you don't even trully know. At least she couldn't. 

Her other romantic options weren't too promising. For whatever reason Sebastian hadn't announced to everyone that he had taken her virginity so Annette was still seen as a viable commodity on campus. She was still getting asked on dates but no one was held her interest so she usually declined. However now she was wondering if perhaps she was too rash to dissmiss them. 

Picking her book up again she started to once again try to loose herself. She had just about succeeded when a voice behind her asked "Wuthering Heights, one of my favorites." 

"Yeah it's mine as-" Annette stopped in mid sentence when she looked up and saw Marcus James standing beside her. Dressed in his crisp, clean Manchester uniform that fit like it was designed for him and with a smile that made nearly every girl on campus swoon he appeared as the very picture of confidence. Marcus had always intrigued her for one reason or another. Not just because he was gorgeous but because he seemed to give out an air of intellegence about him much like Sebastian did. He also, much like Sebastian had a reputation of being a player. Not to mention he was friends with Kathryn. 

It was because of this last fact Annette eyed him cautiously before asking "can I help you with something?" 

He laughed softly as he sat down beside her on the ground and took the book out of her hands. Looking at the back jacket he smiled as he explained "we studied Bronte last semester and I completely fell in love. Anyone would could mix that sort of passion with that amount of heartache, it's just breathtaking." 

"I agree" Annette replied taking the book back from him. "Now stop dogging my question. What do you want?" 

"Are you always this paranoid?" 

She shook her head "no I like to give people the benefit of the doubt. Except when it comes to friends of Kathryn and tribunal memebers. I happen to know you are both so forgive me if I don't want to sit around and discuss books with you." Taking a deep breath she looked away towards a crowd of students sitting at a table laughing. "You can do back to Kathryn and tell her I'm running the article, no matter who she sends to change my mind." 

Annette expected some sort of proffession of innocence so she was genuinly surprised when he said "do you have any idea the ammount of trouble you're going to bring down on yourself and your family if that article runs? Look you're right I don't know you and I am a friend of Kathryn's but that doesn't mean I want something to happen to you." 

"Look threatening me is not-" 

"I'm not threatening you" he replied softly in a hushed tone. "I'm just explaining the facts. When and if the information about the tribunal comes out Kathryn won't be the only one paying the price. In case you haven't noticed families with their kids in this school care very much about reputation. Now if you threaten that they are going to get angry and their going to attack. The first person they're going to start with is your father and then they'll move on to you. You're planning on going to Cornell next year right?" 

"How did you know that?" 

"Never mind" he sighed. "If you do this I guarantee they'll make sure you don't attend that school or any place else that isn't a community college. These people Annette take their repuations very seriously and they won't stand to see them smeared." 

In all honestly Annette had never considered that, she just assumed Kathryn would be the one to pay the price for the tribunal. Although she wanted to see her taken down a peg or two Annette didn't want her father to pay for her retaliation. Then again at the same time she didn't want to back down just because a bunch of rich people couldn't handle the truth. "I don't know Marcus, I worked hard on that article and I think the people have the right to know." 

His dark eyes burning into hers he asked "even if it harms the wrong people?" 

Looking away she muttered "I'll think about it okay?" 

"Hey, that's all I ask" he replied placing a hand over hers. 

Annette didn't throw his hand off of hers but she did ask him "was that all?" 

Marcus smiled charmingly "well no, I have two tickets to the symphony for Friday night. Want to go?" 

Not bothering to hide her surprise she asked "you're asking me out?" 

"Well yeah" he laughed. Sensing her obvious hesitation he asked faux indiginity "what, you're not into black guys?" 

She laughed "that's not it. It's just...um.." 

"Yes?" 

There must have been a million reasons why agreeing to go out with Marcus was a bad idea but at the moment she didn't care. As soon as he arrived all feelings of bordom and emptiness had vanished and to Annette that was as good a reason as any to say yes. With a sly smile she responded "okay, I'll go. Pick me up at seven. I take it you know where I live." 

Nodding his head he laughed "as a matter of fact..." 

****** 

"What do you say to a June wedding Sebastian?" 

Looking up from his viel Sebastian glared at his father with annoyance and replied "I'm not the one good getting married." Glancing farther to his left his eyes landed on his soon to be step mother who was smiling poilitly as she unbenownst to his father caressed Sebastian's leg under the table. Kicking her away he finished "you are DAD." 

Nina looked back down at her dinner and pouted like a school girl who was denied the boy she had a crush on. His father, clueless as ever put an arm around his fiancee and rambled on "I think we can rent out the Plaza or perhaps the Carlton. What do you think dear?" 

As the two of then rambled on about wedding plans Sebastian tuned them out wondering why it was he couldn't figure a good excuse out of this dinner. When he could no longer hide out at the hotel any longer he came home just in time for his father to insist that he accompany them to dinner. Reluctantly he had agreed and now here he sat trying to fend of the unwanted advances of his step mommy while trying to appear interested in their so called wedding. 

Looking over at the happy couple Sebastian's nose turned up in disgust and he suddenly looked anywhere around the fancy reasteraunt that wasn't at them. In doing so he noticed a familar face sitting a few tables away. It was Marcus who was sitting across from a petite, beautiful blond. It came as no surprise to Sebastian when he saw the girl was Annette. 

In the span of only a few weeks Annette and Marcus had become Manchesters hottest couple, not that Sebastian kept up with that sort of crap but it was a little hard to escape it. Everyone was talking about how known womanizer Marcus seemed to have the virginal Annette wrapped around his finger or that she had him wrapped around her finger. Either way it was the consensus of most that he had already popped her cheery. This alone was enough to annoy Sebastian seeing as he was the one who really held that honor. 

Another interesting development which seemed to be somehow attributed to the new couple was that the tribunal had yet to be exposed. Earlier Annette had devolged to him that she was going to use the info he found for her in news article for the school paper. At the time Sebastian found it a little tame but left it in her hands. However the article had yet to be published. The other day at school he tried to ask her about it but Annette quickly blew him off sighting she had a meeting to get to. 

This along with the bizzare new relationship led Sebastian to beleive that one person was behind both of them, Kathryn. The queen bee was livid when she found out about the article and it would hardly be beneath her to send one of her favorite minions, Marcus, to cozy up to Annette in order to prevent the article from seeing the light of day. 

Thinking about Kathryn yet again made him shift uneasily in his seat. Ever since their romp in the hotel a few weeks back Sebastian had felt on edge. Every time he got close with another girl he would flash back to that day and he couldn't figure out why. Yes it had been amazing and hot but he had better. Hadn't he? 

To top it off Kathryn seemed to be making it a point to actively avoid him. No longer was she cornering him, threatening him, trying to get a rise out of him. Instead whenever they saw each other in the hall she would get a weird look on her face before she scowled and turned away. 

Maybe it was because he always wanted what he couldn't have that he suddenly craved her. For the past two weeks he'd been ignoring that feeling or pushing it away all together but he was sick of doing that. Sebastian wanted a repeat performance and he was going to do everything in his power to get it. There was only one real way to get Kathryn's attention and that was to piss her off. 

When he noticed Marcus excuse himself from Annette, Sebastian did the same only he didn't bother to explain his dissaperance to the happy couple beside him. Getting up he followed into the men's room and found Marcus taking a piss. He looked up and smiled cordially when he noticed him enter. "Hey Valmont" 

Sebastian pretended to study his reflection in front of the mirror and he smiled back "hello Marcus." 

"I didn't see you out there. Who are you here with?" 

With a sigh of disgust he grumbled "my father and his soon to be ex fiancee. I saw you're with Annette." 

"Yeah I am" he replied zipping his pants back up. Glancing at him cautiously Marcus tensed slightly as he inquired "um, you're not, you know still into her are you?" 

Sebastian let out a genuine laugh "no, of course not and if it's any conselation to you I'm pretty sure it's mutual." 

Marcus laughed back "oh trust me she is." 

As he turned to leave Sebastian waited until he was almost to the door before calling out, "so tell me how long did Kathryn tell you to date Annette?" 

Stopping in his tracks, Marcus's body stiffened at the question. Slowly he turned to him with a weary smile and replied "I don't know what you're talking about." 

"Right" Sebastian snickered tossing a used paper towel in the trash. "You just happen to start dating Annette right when she's about to publish an article that's going to expose all the secrets of you're secret society. You have to admit that's a hell of a coinsidence." 

Marcus smiled confidently "there's no such thing as coinsidence." 

"Especially when you're dealing with Kathryn." 

Looking around as if to make sure they were alone, Marcus then stepped closer to him and the smile dissapeared off his face. "You know Valmont none of this would have been necessary if you hadn't minded your own business." 

No backing down an inch Sebastian responded "yes well your illustrious leader really didn't give me any other choice. Do me a favor and save your threats, okay? I heard enough of them from Kathryn. It seems the only way she shuts up is when she's on her back." 

Sebastian honestly didn't mean to say anything, the comment just slipped out. In face he didn't even realize what he had said until Marcus asked him sounding complelty floored, "wait a minute, did you fuck Kathryn?" 

Closing his eyes he shook his head and sighed "does it matter?" 

"I'm guessing if she's keeping it a secret it is." Turning away from him Marcus looked at his watch and remarked "I have to get back to Annette, she's probably wondering where I went." 

There was something in his tone that made Sebastian stop him and ask "you really like her don't you?" 

He nodded "yeah I do, Annette's cool." 

Sebastian snickered "oh that's going to go over well with Kathryn." 

"What are you talking about?" Marcus sighed "Once Annette is no longer a threat Kathryn won't care who I date." 

Squinting his blue eyes he scoffed "you can't honestly be that nieve?" 

"Whatever" he grumbled "I have to go." 

Before he could press the issue further Marcus was out the door. Sebastian followed behind him and watched as he rejoined Annette who was already slipping her coat on to leave. As Marcus paid the check Sebastian couldn't help but notice the guy beside him doing the same thing and the whole time keeping one eye on the happy couple. Curious he approched the guy and purposly bumped into him, causing the twenty something young man to stumble. "Hey watch it" he sneered before turning his attention back on Marcus and Annette. 

As they left the guy followed in hot pursuit and as he did Sebastian caught sight of the bag it was carrying. He noticed it because he had one just like it. It was a camera bag. 

It was very curious that a man with a camera was tailing Annette and Marcus off all people. Then again Sebastain could think of one person who would want compromising pictures of the couple. With a knowing grin he muttered "Kathryn what are you up to?" 

****** 

It was a miracle she didn't get struck by lightning. As Kathryn stood under the umbrella currently being held by the doorman she cursed loudly "I'm getting soaked! Just open the god damn door!" 

"I'm sorry Ms. Merteuil" he mumbled desperetly trying to open the door for her. When at last he got it he smiled proudly and held it for her "here you go." 

She rolled her eyes at him as she pushed past into the dry foyer of the luxurious townhouse. She had just spent a semi pleasent evening at an outdoor party thrown by William Tyler. It was being held on his new yaht but when the skies opened up and it started to storm everyone rushed inside and the seemingly big boat suddenly appeared very tiny and cramped. No longer having any fun Kathryn had left for home where she ended up having to stand out in the thunder and lightening while the bubling doorman figured out how to opperate the new electroinc door. Fucking idiot. 

Now safely and dryly enconsed in her house Kathryn headed down the long foyer towards her bedroom. She started to climb the large staircase that led to the second floor when a voice behind her called out "does it bother you at all that the people in this house think you're the antichrist?" 

Spinning around Kathryn found Sebastian lounging across the antique sofa sipping her fathers vintage scotch. She had spents precious minutes over the past weeks figuring out ways to best avoid running into him and now here he was. Sitting in her living room as if he belonged there. Using her chilliest voice possible she demanded "what are you doing here?" 

"Well" he explained "I was going to wait until you came home before entering, seeing as it was the polite thing to do but then again I didn't want to give you a chance to escape." 

"Escape?" she spat. "As if I was afraid of you." 

Leering at her suggestively he remarked "it would explain why you've been hidding from me every since we-" 

"Don't even say it" Kathryn warned as she yanked the glass of scotch from his hand. "And I don't run and hide. I just haven't spoken to you because I had no need to. You bore me Sebastain." 

Getting up slowly from his seat he reached forwards and brushed his hand against her hair. Moving even closer to her he whispered "I didn't seem to bore you that afternoon in my bed. In fact I beleive you were completely insatiable." 

Kathryn flinched at this, allowing herself to meet his stare only fleetingly before pushing him away. Finishing off the rest of his alchol she lammented "it's done with get over it Valmont. It was just sex, nothing more." 

"Uh huh, so have you told Joshua about it?" 

Staring into the empty glass she searched her brain for some nasty words to say to him that would make him go away but came up short. Kathryn refused to show him how much he got to her. Instead she replied in an indifferent tone "it's none of your business what goes on between the two of us." 

"Well Marcus seemed rather surprised when he found out" he replied casually. 

Nearly dropping the glass in her hand Kathryn suddenly felt sick. She hadn't wanted Marcus to know she had been weak enough to go to bed with Sebastian. Now that she hadn't told him he would question her as to why. He might suspect she had actually enjoyed herself or worse. 

Slamming the glass against the table she spun around and screamed "you promised not to say anything!" 

"I did?" he inquired innocently. "Oops" 

"You son of a bitch" she muttered "get the fuck out of my house!" 

He sighed loosing the cocky grin for a moment, "look Kathryn I didn't mean to tell him. It just slipped out." 

She wasn't sure if she beleived him and frankly she didn't care what his excuse was. Storming over to the phone she picked it up and told him "I'm calling security if you don't vacate the premesise in the next five seconds." 

"All right then" he told her heading towards the door. "I thought you might be interested in this roll of photographs but since you're not-" 

Although she really didn't want to ask him she called out "what photographs?" 

Spinning around with a superior smile he explained "oh the one's you hired that nice man Mr. Brooks to take of Marcus and Annette." 

FUCK! She wanted to scream and attack him but damnit that got her in trouble the last time. Instead she tried to play cool so she set the phone down gently and asked "what are you talking about?" 

"Don't insult me by playing dumb you're way to smart for that. I spotted Marcus and Annette on their date tonight along with the man tailing them. I noticed his camera and wondered who in the world who hire a man with a camera to follow them? Then I recalled your hobby of using photographs for blackmail and the rest wasn't too hard to figure out." 

"Oh?" 

He sighed as if it pained him to have to explain. "See Marcus has been getting close to Annette at per your request but perhaps it's a little to close for you. Not to mention she still has that article that could ruin you so knowing you as I do I know you won't stop until Annette is completely out of the picture. You hired that guy to take pictures of them in bed so you could later turn around and blackmail Annette." 

With a cool smile Kathryn began to clap, "well done Valmont. You're a regular Hardy boy. Now why don't you be a good little boy and hand me over MY photographs." 

She went to grab for them but he held them out of her reach. "Not so fast, tell me something does Marcus know anything about this?" 

"What do you think?" she spat rolling her eyes. "I fear he's starting to get a little attached to the little twit but no worries. I'll soon help rid him of that misfortune." 

"Right, well I think I'll just hold on to these" Sebastian replied pocketing the film in his jacket. 

Kathryn grabbed him by the arm and demanded "what do you want?" 

He cocked an eyebrow, "what are you offering?" When she shrugged in response he sighed and began to once again circle her. "Okay I'll give you the film but you have to do one thing for me first." 

She had a feeling what that was. As Kathryn thought about all the depraved things Sebastian might make her do she began to get aroused and then she got angry at herself. She hated him, she didn't want him. Not anymore. Trying to remain business like she asked "what is it?" 

Stopping in his tracks Sebastian moved closer to her and revelaed in a husky whisper "one kiss." 

That threw her slightly and even dissapointed her a little. Just one kiss? Knowing there had to be some sort of catch she asked "where do you want to kiss me." 

Sebastian smiled as dipped down and gently brushed his mouth against hers. "Where do you think?" 

Feeling him so close she could taste him Kathryn once again began to feel that familar feeling of nerves in her stomach. Looking up into his blue eyes she whispered "okay, it's a deal." 

He nodded slightly before cupping her chin and drawing her mouth to his. They kissed at first tentative and soft which Sebastian's hands circling her waist. Then as he went on it became more urgent as Kathryn opened her mouth to him and his tongue flicked against hers. Forgetting for a moment all about her promise to herself to stay away from him, Kathryn allowed herself to melt into his embrace, enjoying the taste of his mouth. 

When at last they both could no longer go without needing an breath of air they broke apart and before either could say a word a loud boom of thunder was heard along with a flash of light against the large picture window. A moment later everything went dark. 

- to be continued (Please Review) 


	6. With A Friend Like Her Who Needs Enemies...

**The Tribunal**

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**Summary: A stormy night brings Kathryn and Sebastian closer together but her latest revenge plot might drive Sebastian away for good.**

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**Authors Note: Since classes are starting up again I'm only going to be updating this story about once a week or maybe not, we'll see. By the way look for Joshua to reappear in chapter 8 and stay on for the rest of the story.**

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**Chapter 6: With A Friend Like Her Who Needs Enemies?**

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****"What the fuck?" Kathryn muttered as she stepped away from Sebastian and looked around the now dark room. 

Sebastian sighed as he moved away from her and attempted to turn on the lamp switch behind him. When all that came was a soft click of the on/off button he said, "looks like the power went out." 

"Gee you think?" she spat back but she hadn't meant it to come out that nasty. The storm had put her nerves on end and that intense kiss with Sebastian hadn't helped any. Why did he have to kiss her like that? Gentle and warm and so very unSebastian like. It made her skin hot and her body eager for more, but more was exactly what she didn't want. 

Deciding to concentrate on the problem at hand Kathryn began to anxiously pace the dark room calling out "Maria! Mai Lei! Franklin! Where the fuck are you? Stop dittering around and get the power back on now! God damn do I have to do everything myse...owww!!" Kathryn let out a shriek of pain when she banged into the sharp edge of her mothers imported marble end table. The hideous creation was her mothers pride and joy and apparently her tormentor. 

"Kathryn" came Sebastian's all too calm voice. "You need to calm down." 

"Don't tell me what to do! They're my servants and I'll scream at them if I want to!" 

He let out a grumbl of annoyance "look do you have a back up generator?" 

"How the hell should I know" 

"Okay I'll take that as a no. Now if you don't have one odds are the power isn't going to come back on for a little while, or at least until NIMO gets here." 

It was starting to annoy her how calm Sebastian was about all of this. Unable to stand the thought of someone being more superior and in control than her Kathryn spat "Valmont if that's the only help you're offering is with your mouth feel free to leave. I've had enough of it for one evening." 

"Fine" came his cold reply. "I'm leaving, have fun strutting around in the dark, oh and if I were you I'd watch out for one of those disgruntled servants. Now might be the perfect time for them to get some much needed revenge against you." 

Although she couldn't see him depart, only a shadowy outline of his lanky figure, she could hear him. Kathryn didn't hold much stock in his warning but she wasn't too keen on the idea of stumbling around in the dark all night, all by herself. "Sebastian" she called out wincing at the desperate sound in her voice. "Um, you don't have to go." 

She heard his footsteps cease and could dimly see him turn back to face her. "Well the idea of spending the night listening to you constantly bitch and hurl insults at me isn't exactly appealing so unless you give me a real good reason to stay...I'm out of here." 

Kathryn knew he wanted to hear her beg him to stay and as much as it pained her to do it she asked "will you please stay here with me? Just until the power comes back on." 

He seemed to consider it for a long time, so long in fact Kathryn would have thought he left if it wasn't for his soft breathing. Just before she was about to call out to him again she heard a soft flick that was immediately followed by a small bit of light coming from a plastic lighter. Sebastian held it close, causing it to illuminate his handsome face. With a smug smile he told her "all right I'll take pity on you and stay." 

"Don't do me any favors" she hissed. 

"Trust me I won't be doing anything for you if you keep being such a little bitch" he snarled. 

I raised an amused eyebrow "and here I thought you liked that about me." 

Suddenly Sebastian was standing much closer to her than she thought. Placing the lighter over her face he snickered "it has it's moments." 

Seemingly loosing his annoyance with her, Sebastian leered at her, his eyes sweeping down her body. Kathryn and seen that gaze in his eyes before and almost immediately a shiver went through her body. Still she refused to give into it or anything she was feeling towards him. Instead she held her head up and told him "I'm not having sex with you." 

His smile only widened as he confidently strode past her and asked "what makes you think I WANT to have sex with you?"   


"Oh please" Kathryn huffed "I think we both know...wait, Sebastian?" Looking around in the seemingly endless space of dark she realized he was no longer in the living room. "Sebastian?" 

"Where do you keep the kitchen princess?" she heard his voice echo from the hallway. 

"Why?" Kathryn quickly followed after him trying her best not to bump into any furniture on the way. When she spotted him with one of her mothers hideous decorative candles she fell into step behind him, taking hold of his jacket. 

Sebastian turned back and grinned when he felt her latch onto him. "I'm hungry and the least you can do is feed me seeing as I'm giving up my night to baby-sit you." 

"Like you have anything better to do" she muttered. "It's down the hall to the left." 

The two found the large west wing kitchen easily enough. As soon as they entered Sebastian headed to the fridge while Kathryn wandered over to the cabinets. This was the first time she had ever really been in the kitchen, or at least long enough to notice what it looked like. It was very large and surprisingly very modern, with gleaming counter tops and stainless steal stove appliances littered about. 

With his head buried in the fridge Sebastian called back to her, "where do you keep the meats?" 

"How should I know" 

Turning his head back just long enough to spot her pulling out a bottle of red wine and Jack Daniel's he noted with amusment "but you seem to have no problem locating the liquor." 

Kathryn shot him a glare as she got to her feet to rummage around the top cabinets for a shot glass. With his back still towards her Sebastian drawled "so where are Mr. and Mrs. Merteuil tonight?" 

"Who knows" Kathryn sighed as she fiddled with the bottle opener. "Best guess, mothers off diddling her yoga instructor or whoever her boy toy of the moment is and daddy's off...well probably doing the same." 

"Nice" 

"Yes" she agreed the bitterness evident in her tone. "My family's a walking, talking clique of the dysfunctional wealthy family. Mother came from an old moneyed New York family, Daddy took over the reigns of his fathers company. Their marriage was practically arranged. One year into it they had me, then to my knowledge never had sex again, at least not with each other. Instead they spent their nights screwing around, leaving me to be raised by assorted nannies and servants." 

Sebastian who was leaning against the fridge, staring at her intently asked "and do they know, about each others activities?" 

Kathryn snickered "when I was little I walked in on my father in bed with one of my nannies. For weeks I didn't know weather to tell my mother or not. Finally I worked up the courage to tell her and she responded by looking me straight in the eye and saying, Kathryn you saw nothing. I insisted that I had but she explained that she knew very well what my father did and that she did the very same thing but I was never to speak of it. When I was older it would be the same between me and my husband." Shaking her head at the memory she explained "I was ten and that conversation was about as close to bonding as me and my mother ever got." 

"That must have made one hell of a bed time story" 

"I suppose that explains a lot huh?" 

Sebastian only smiled as he turned back to the fridge, forsaking the meats in favor of the ice cream in the freezer. As Kathryn watched him she wondered not for the first time what Sebastian's story was. At first she hesitated asking him because he might start thinking she cared. However her curiosity got the best of her so she asked "what about your family?" 

"What about them?" he grumbled. 

"What are they like?" 

"Why? Looking for fresh ammunition?" 

"No" she answered quietly "I was just..never mind." Staring down into her shot of Jack Daniel's she wished she hadn't said anything. 

Pulling out a pint of mint chocolate chip Sebastian sat down across from her at the counter. "They're all right" he explained lifting the metal spoon to his mouth. "My fathers sort of an asshole. The only thing he cares about is making money and servicing his tool." 

"Like father, like son, huh?" When Sebastian only scowled at her comment she smiled, "sorry. What about your mother?" 

"She's an art restorer, she married my father young. However when he started screwing around she wasn't about to put up with it so she divorced him, took half his money and started to travel a lot. I lived with her most my life." 

"How come you're living here then?" 

Stabbing the spoon into the ice cream he spat "because her new fiancée wasn't keen on dealing with a rich American brat with a bad reputation. He's the duke of some little shit whole country over there and it was decided that it was best for everyone if I went and stayed with my father. So here I am, having ice cream with you in the dark." 

"There are worse places you could be" she acknowledged. Sebastian smiled in agreement as he continued eating. Watching him she groaned "ugh, do you know how many calories are in that?" 

"Do you know how much I care? Here have some" he offered the spoon to her. 

Staring down at the cold dessert Kathryn was tempted to take it but then quickly remembered her latest diet. "No thank you, I don't need it" she remarked touching her flat stomach. 

"It's not about needing, it's about wanting Kathryn." Looking around the counter at her remarked "besides you look like you could stand to gain a few pounds." 

"Says you" 

"Says common sense." Putting the spoon down he watched her for a moment, his blue eyes burning into her. Finally he shook his head and asked "so how long have you had issues with food?" 

"I don't have issues with food!" Kathryn spat perhaps a little too vehemently. 

"Okay" Sebastian said obviously not buying it. 

Rolling her eyes she got to her feet and grabbed the bottle of wine. "I'm going to my room" 

Just as she knew he would Sebastian put down the food in favor of following after her. Using one of the candles from the kitchen to guide her way Kathryn climbed up the stair case to her bedroom with Sebastian in toe. As she started to open the door he put his hand over hers. Kathryn looked up to find his staring at her, his trademark smirk gone. "Look, I didn't mean anything by that...it's none of my business." 

Knowing that was about as close to an apology as she was going to get Kathryn nodded "it's fine." 

When they went inside Kathryn lit the few candles surrounding her alcove bed as Sebastian circled the room looking at her things. Laying down on her bed she watched him, the candle light illuminating his movements. As he started looking threw her desk drawers she sighed "what are you doing?" 

"Just looking" 

"You won't find anything" 

Stopping suddenly Sebastian bent down and then pulled a small gun from the bottom drawer. "Oh yeah?" 

Sitting up suddenly she ordered "put that back." 

Handling the revolver delicately he asked "what the hell are you doing with a gun?" 

"That's none of your concern." Sebastian looked over at her and stared her down. With a sigh she explained "Joshua gave it to me okay?" 

"What the hell for? Kinky sex games?" 

Ignoring the dig she explained, "no there was a series of attacks last summer in this neighborhood. He got me it for...just in case" 

"That's a little extreme don't you think?" 

"Of course not" she replied defensively. "He just wanted me to be safe and anyway I know how to use it. In fact I'm an excellent shot." 

Sebastian shook his head at her before setting the pistol back in the drawer it came from. "So am I" he argued "but I don't carry a gun around." 

Kathryn only rolled her eyes at him before falling back on the bed recalling when Joshua gave it to her. She too had thought it had been a little extreme but he insisted she take it. At the time she had thought it almost sweet that he cared about her so much he'd buy her a gun but the way Sebastian reacted to it made her wonder if it wasn't just the slightest bit off. 

He broke her from her thoughts when he snickered "so is this prince charming?" 

Kathryn looked up to see him holding a photograph of her and Joshua at the spring formal the year before. Sitting up on her elbows she smiled "yeah that's him." 

"Huh" Sebastian studied the photograph with a critical eye and a deep frown on his face. "I thought he'd be blond, you know more nazi like." 

She narrowed her eyes at him "no I'm more into the dark and handsome type. He's British too" 

"Oh well that explains the teeth" 

Kathryn responded by chucking a pillow at him that Sebastian easily caught as he laughed at his little joke. Setting the photo back down he walked over to the bed and sat down, pulling his jacket off as he did. "So how did you meet Mr. wonderful?"  


She hesitated telling him not because she thought he would tease her, Kathryn knew he would anyway, but because talking about Joshua when she was around Sebastian always made her uneasy. She wasn't sure why, after all she had nothing to feel guilty about but she felt it all the same. However when Sebastian continued to stare at her she said "I met him when I was a freshman. Joshua was the head of the tribunal at the time-" Kathryn was interrupted when Sebastian started to laugh. "What!?" 

"Nothing" he snickered reaching for the bottle of wine that was sitting over my head. "That just makes all kinds of sense. Go on." 

Breaking her glare from him she went on "anyway after joining the tribunal I decided that I wanted to lead. However I was a freshman and a girl which was basically two strikes against me. Since I wanted to top spot I realized I was going to have to seduce Joshua to get it only he was seeing someone at the time who he was oddly committed to." 

"Anyone I know?" 

"As a matter of fact...it was Annette." Sebastian responded by choking on the wine he was guzzling down. Watching as he wiped the liquid that slipped out of his mouth Kathryn said "I thought you knew that all ready." 

"No, no but that explains a lot. So Joshua was in love with her before you?" 

"He wasn't in love with her in fact-" 

"Wait a minute" Sebastian said suddenly "Joshua is Annette's ex who was a tribunal member? Holy shit I can't believe I didn't make the connection sooner. What a small fucking world. So you're the real reason they broke up?" 

A proud mischievous grin appeared on her face as she replied "guilty. It was quite easily actually given the little twit wouldn't put out." 

"But you would and you used him to get to the top only you fell in love with him. Aww, how sweet!" he mocked her in a high pitched voice. 

Grabbing the bottle of wine back from him Kathryn took a long sip before asking a question she was sure she already knew the answer to. "Have you ever been in love with anyone, outside of yourself?" 

"No of course not" he sighed. "I don't really go into all that hearts and flowers crap and I'm rather surprised you do. Love sweetheart is just lust combined with an overwhelming sense to be needed. It's not real, it's just something people dream up in their heads so sex won't seem as dirty." 

"That's what I use to think until I met Joshua. At first I thought it was just the sex, you know a really good orgasm but then things changed. The more I got to know him, the real him, the more I wanted to know. Suddenly it wasn't just about getting off, I cared for him and he cared for me." Realizing she had been staring off into space as she thought about Joshua Kathryn suddenly snapped back to reality and looked up to find Sebastian watching her with a curious gaze. "Anyway it's only a matter of time before you feel that way towards someone. Knowing you it will probably be some big breasted blond, with an IQ measuring her shoe size." 

He snickered "I don't think so. I've had my heart broken once before and I don't intend on going there again." 

"What do you mean?" Kathryn sat up suddenly interested. 

"Mrs. Johnson" he explained. "She was my eighth grade tutor who I was completely obsessed with. One lovely summer day she decided to extend my education beyond reading, writing and arithmetic if you know what I'm saying." 

Kathryn squinted at him as she asked "you fucked your eight grade tutor? How old was she?" 

"I don't know but she was hot and she was my first. Needless to say I was utterly smitten with her. However Mrs. Johnson made it painfully clear that we made a mistake and that was never to happen again. She quit the next day leaving me completely heartbroken." 

"Unbelievable" she muttered shaking her head as she took a gulp off the bottle. 

"Okay your turn, who was your first?" 

Kathryn winced "it wasn't anything terribly memorable. It was the summer before I started high school, this older guy Randal or Ronald or something like that. Anyway on our first date he took me to the opera, his parents box. Half way into it he pulls me to the ground and we start making out. He wanted to go further and I didn't want to enter high school a virgin so I let him." 

"And how was Randy or whatever his name was?" 

"Horrible" she shuttered in disgust at the memory. "It lasted all of three minutes before he pulled out and came on my Vera Wang dress. I was so pissed and now hot and bothered that I made him give me head on the way home. Afterwards I forced him to pay for my dress and promise never to call me again." 

"Ouch, poor Randy" Sebastian laughed and Kathryn soon joined him. As she felt herself relax perhaps for the first time that whole evening she let Sebastian take the bottle from her hands. As he did his fingers gently grazed hers causing a shock of electricity to soar through her body. Perhaps it was the wine or all this talk of sex because suddenly she was feeling horny. Staring at Sebastian who was resting against her out stretched legs, she noticed how inviting his puffy, soft lips looked. Suddenly she had the urge to feel them all over her body. 

Lifting her foot she rubbed it just gently against his arm. Sebastian looked down at it then over to Kathryn who gave him just a hint of a small suggestive smile. Slowly he sipped the wine as his eyes locked on hers. He knew then what she wanted because he wanted it as well. 

Getting up Sebastian sat the bottle on the ledge over her head and then rested his body on top of her. Just feeling his body weight made Kathryn nearly gasp in pleasure but she stopped herself. Without a word he bent down and gently kissed her mouth. When she opened her mouth just slightly Sebastian's velvety tongue slid up against hers. 

Their kiss lasted only a brief moment before Sebastian pulled away from her. "So low lenient are you prepared to be on this no sex rule?" 

"No fucking" she murmured. As much as she might have wanted to Kathryn wasn't about to once again risk loosing control like she did that day in the hotel room. That was too dangerous but she figured screwing around was harmless. 

Sebastian not one to be swayed or at least show it, bent down and planted soft kisses on the left side of her neck. "But we can do..." 

He moved over and kissed the right side "other things." 

It was more a statement than a question but Kathryn moaned "yesss." 

"Good because there's something I want to do to you" he whispered as he started to kiss down her neck to her chest. Kathryn was wearing a red silk dress with spaghetti straps. She expected Sebastian to pull down the straps to get to her breasts but he didn't. Instead he gently kneed the fabric covered mounds long enough for her to let out a moan and arch her back. 

Moving down further on the bed his hands slid along her hips. Slowly he lifted up her dress, letting it rest just beyond her navel. Sebastian looked up at her waiting till their eyes locked before bringing his mouth down to her stomach. The feel of his wet tongue dancing against her exposed skin made Kathryn shiver. She might have been embarrassed by her obviously need if she wasn't so turned on. Reaching out she grasped him by the hair and tried to force his head further between her legs which were now spread. However Sebastian refused to be rushed and continued to kiss his way down to her low cut panties. 

Eventually he started to tug as the black lace material and slowly slid them down her tan legs. Tossing them carelessly aside he bent back down but he didn't put his mouth where she wanted it. Instead Sebastian placed soft, lingering kissed on the inside of her thighs. It felt amazing but Kathryn was so anxious for his mouth to be on her she wanted to scream. Sebastian seemed to get this, in fact he seemed to be doing all this teasing on purpose. When she finally felt nearly light headed with desire Kathryn whimpered "please Sebastian...your mouth...lick...kiss...please.." 

Pulling away he asked "what was that?" 

Kathryn responded by kicking him in the back with the heel of her foot. Sebastian hissed in pain then suddenly bowed down and bit on her budding clitoris causing Kathryn to buck in surprise and nearly come in the process. Looking up at her he warned "slowly." 

She picked her head off the pillow and smiled down at him, "do it." 

A look of amusement mixed with lust danced through his eyes as he ran a hand down her shaved mound and then brought his mouth right where she wanted it. Using his tongue, lips and fingers Sebastian managed to hit every sensitive spot she had and a few that she didn't know she had. Reaching behind her Kathryn grasped onto the ledge as she began to buck against his mouth. She was so wet she could just imagine the mess she was making of her sheets but she didn't care. All she cared about was Sebastian's delicious mouth and the pleasure it was bringing to her. 

"Sebastian" she moaned over and over again. "God...I'm so close...just...a little... MORE!" Kathryn screamed when her orgasm seemed to suddenly come upon her. Still gyrating against his face, her body trembled in the aftermath as Sebastian stayed between her legs, cleaning her up. 

At last he moved back up her body and reached for the alcohol overhead. He took a sip then bent down and kissed her sensuously. Kathryn could taste a mix of the wine and her own juices, it surprisingly turned her on. 

Although she was exhausted from her orgasm she decided to repay the favor anyway. Pushing Sebastian onto his back almost forcefully she climbed on top of him and gently kissed his neck. Her dress was still around her waist and as she pressed her body up against his she could feel his erection rub between her legs. Kathryn knew what he wanted but he was just going to have to settle for a blow job. 

Just as he had done to her Kathryn took her time kissing his neck and down his chest. As she moved down his body she unbuttoned his black shirt and flicked her tongue against his skin. Seeing as Sebastian had even less patients than her he soon enough started to try and force her head downward. Kathryn responded by letting her teeth graze his skin as she whispered "don't even think about it." 

Sebastian groaned "baby, please..." 

She winked up at him before moving further down his body. When she at last got to his pants she took her time unfastening them. Pulling them down around his ankles she ran a hand over his silk boxers, squeezing his hard on. Kathryn looked up in amusement as his jaw clenched and he grasped her sheets. Wanting to torment him just a little further she started to jack him off, with his boxers still on. Sebastian's blues eyes opened and darted down to her. "Kathryn" he grumbled in a warning tone. 

After playing with him a couple more minutes she at last took pity on him and pulled his boxers off. Kathryn stroked him a few times, taking pleasure in the warmth and the way his cock pulsed in her hand. Bending down she licked it teasingly as she gently fondled his balls. Up and down, down and up she licked until at last she slipped his cock into her mouth. 

Kathryn deep throated him easily enough, all the while she used one hand to caress Sebastian's scrotum as her other hand rubbed his stomach. For his part Sebastian issued great restraint and didn't force her head at all, he didn't really need to. When he felt his cum start to approach he tried to warn her but the words wouldn't come out. His mind was so cloudy he could barely form a thought let alone a sentence. At last he finally came, moaning out her name as he did. Kathryn easily disposed of his cum and then pulled his now limp dick from her mouth. 

She moved back up his body to find Sebastian was breathing hard, his eyes closed in exhaustion. Kathryn almost said something but stopped herself, she liked the comfortable quiet. Instead she rested her head against his chest and Sebastian drapped an arm across her. Both equal parts tired and content the two fell asleep in each others arms. 

****** 

The following morning Sebastian's reached out and grasped the silky sheet that was covering him. Fingering the soft fabric he immediately knew he wasn't in his own bed, for his own bed had white sheets, not soft blue silk. Slowly his eyes fluttered open and he groaned and rolled over on his side. It took him only a few moments to figure out he was indeed in the same bed he was last night. Kathryn's bed. Well he could find himself in worse places in the morning. 

The thought made his smile slightly. Sitting up he looked around the quiet room, realizing for the first time he was alone. Sebastian stretched, rubbed the sleep from his eyes, and then extended his head out of the bed when he heard soft murmuring coming from the bathroom. The door was opened just a crack but it was enough for him to get a view of Kathryn's soft, bare legs as she pulled on a pair of lace panties. 

Getting up he walked to the door and started to push it all the way open when he heard Kathryn say into the cell phone she was holding, "no everything's going fine. Things were a little tense with the Valmont situation but...I think I've fixed it." 

Sebastian scowled at the sound of his name wondering what she was referring to by the 'situation'. He had a sneaking suspicion Kathryn was talking to one of her tribunal members. Now normally he wouldn't care but since it concerned him he very much cared. He became more and more sure it was indeed one of her cronies as she continued on talking in that superior tone of hers. "No the meetings tonight and I assure you Annette will be taken care of by then. Well of course I have a plan, don't I always?" she laughed. "No they'll do as I say, they have no other choice. I'm sure they do...I miss you too baby.' 

Sebastian's ears suddenly perked up as Kathryn's tone suddenly changed from confident bitch to soft school girl. "I can't wait, November seems so long away. My bed has been so cold and lonely without you Joshua. Nobody interesting I assure you" she laughed. "How about you? Anyone I should be worried about? Good, yeah okay, I'll talk to you soon. Bye baby" 

When she at last clicked off the phone Sebastian decided against joining her in the bathroom and instead walked back over to the bed. Slumping down her words repeated over in his head, "my bed has been so cold and lonely without you." Pff, what a load a crap. Last night he had her creaming all over the place as she shook and called out his name. Sebastian was confident she was into it as much as he had been so why was she claiming otherwise? And what the fuck was she talking to her asshole boyfriend about him for? Sebastian's head whirled with suspicions as he cursed himself for giving a damn in the first place. 

A few minutes later as Sebastian sat smoking a cigarette on the bed, contemplated what he overheard, the bathroom door opened and Kathryn came out dressed in the school uniform. Running a hand through her dark hair she didn't smile but her eyes seemed to. "You're awake" she noted crossing the room "and here I spent half the morning thinking up various horrible ways to get you up." 

"Morning" he replied keeping his tone emotionless. "Looks like the power came back on." 

"Hmm, earlier this morning" 

"I heard you on the phone" Sebastian told her as he watched her gather up things for school. "Who was it?" 

Kathryn stopped her movements only a moment before replying plainly "a friend." 

It wasn't a lie, not really but Sebastian thought of it as one. Getting to his feet he came up from behind her and grabbed her wrist. It wasn't a violent action but it got her attention. Kathryn looked back at him surprised as he brought her wrist up to his mouth. Gently kissing it he said "it was Joshua, wasn't it?" 

She smiled "you were eavesdropping." Pulling out of his grip she grabbed the cigarette out of his hand and put it in her mouth. "You shouldn't do that." 

As she turned away from him Sebastian could see, even from behind, that she was tense. Kathryn was probably waiting for him to ask her about what he overheard and although he very much wanted to he didn't. He was already stepping over some emotional line where Kathryn was concerned and he didn't want to go any further. "You're probably right" he said as he sat back down at the desk. 

Kathryn turned back to him, studied him for a moment then smiled, obviously pleased. Gliding over to him she purred "so are you going to school today?" 

"Perhaps" 

"Good" she replied "because I want you to meet me later." 

He eyed her suspiciously "why, what are you planning?" 

Hands on her hips she pouted, "why do you always think I'm up to something?" 

"Because you usually are" he laughed pulling her to him. "Tell me, what's the game this time?" 

"No game" she replied in a sing song voice as her hands wrapped around his neck. "I just need your assistance on something. Promise it will be completely painless." 

Not wanting to give into her too easily he grumbled "we'll see." 

"Come on" Kathryn cooed in his ear as he tongue flicked against his earlobe. "I'll make it worth your while." 

Sebastian groaned slightly, "what time?" 

She flashed him a brilliant smile of triumph as she climbed off his lap "around three o'clock at the watchtower. Oh and do you have my film?" 

Sebastian regarded her outstretched hand with caution. Although the relationship between Marcus and Annette wasn't one of great concern to him he still didn't like the idea of Kathryn tearing it apart just because she felt like it. Looking up at Kathryn who was staring at him impatiently he asked "what are you going to do with the pictures?" 

"Why do you care?" she challenged. 

He sighed, digging the role of film out of his pocket. "I don't" he assured her "in fact something tells me I don't want to know." 

Palming the film Kathryn eyed it then said mysteriously "some things just can't be avoided." 

"Meaning?" A shiver went through Sebastian as she said that, she was most definitely up to something. 

As usual though she didn't let on a thing, she simply tossed him a quick smile, before turning on her heels and heading out the door. "I have to get to school. Don't forget three o'clock." 

"Yes dear" he muttered as he watched the bedroom door close. Falling back into bed he sighed wondering if he would really meet her as promised. Sebastian wanted to, if only out of morbid curiosity, but at the same time he had this fear that he was slowly becoming just another one of her puppets. After last night he thought things might be changing between them, they were possibly becoming friends or something. 

However he couldn't get something Kathryn said awhile back out of his head. "You don't know me Sebastian. You never have and you never will." Was it true? Was everything really an act with her? 

Sebastian pondered this as his hand reached out and grasped the framed picture of Kathryn that lay next to her bedside. Only Kathryn was vain enough to have pictures of herself in her bedroom. The photo looked as if it was taken a few years back. She looked a little younger but her face still held that jaded expression. Staring into her bright green eyes Sebastian mused out loud "who exactly are you Ms. Merteuil?" 

****** 

Ten after three Sebastian found himself standing at the bottom of the rickety stairs that led to the watchtower. He was a little late and was betting Kathryn was already up there, waiting impatiently for him. Still he hesitated, puffing on the cigarette in his mouth anxiously as he considered weather or not to go through with it. "Fuck it" he muttered tossing the bud to the ground before quickly climbing the stairs. 

When he reached to top which was a small round room with two windows on either side he found Kathryn staring out one of them. She turned when he approached and snarled "you're late." 

"Am I?" he asked bored. "You're lucky I came at all. What are we doing here anyway?"  


Her mood suddenly shifted as she sat back on the ledge of the window and smile seductively. "Come here" she purred. 

Sebastian obeyed crossing over to her as he warned her, "be careful you don't fall." 

"Why, if I did would you save me?" she teased. 

He bent his head down so it was level with hers. "No I wouldn't" 

"Liar" she whispered back before wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling his mouth to hers. They kissed briefly but deeply, with Sebastian's hands circling her waist, crushing her tiny body to his. 

"Okay I'm here so...or perhaps this is a bad time." 

Sebastian turned his head and found Annette standing at the doorway. Her blue eyes met his briefly before shooting down to the ground. His suspicions began to resurface as he asked her "what are you doing here?" 

"I told her to meet me here" Kathryn explained hopping off the window ledge in a graceful way that only she was capable of. "It's nice that you decided to heed my advice. Did you bring it?" 

"Yes" Annette replied in an icy tone that Sebastian had never heard her use before. "However there's no way I'm giving it up to you. I might not have printed the article Kathryn but that doesn't mean I never will." 

"Right" Kathryn chuckled darkly "just so long as Marcus keeps you happy." 

The blond flinched, "keep him out of this." 

"Like to but I can't" 

Annette shook her "enough with the damn riddles Kathryn what do you want?" 

"Fine, ruin my fun" she sighed as she reached into her bag and produced a large envelop. Strutting over to Annette she tossed it to her, "here take a look at these." 

As she started opening it up Annette looked to Sebastian with questioning eyes. He knew what was in the envelop and he knew what the purpose of it was but he wasn't sure why Kathryn insisted he be here for this. 

"Oh my god" Annette murmured as she pulled the glossy photos from the envelope. "Ho-how did you get these?" 

"Marcus gave them to me" 

Sebastian shot Kathryn a disbelieving glare as Annette's face fell even further. "You're lying" she whispered. 

Beaming maliciously the brunette replied, "no I'm not. He's the one who had the pictures taken, he's the one who delivered you to me." 

Shaking her head as tears welled up in her eyes she yelled "no, NO! He wouldn't do that to me, he..." 

"Loves you?" Kathryn finished without a trace a sympathy in her voice. Clucking her tongue she went on "silly rabbit, is that what you believe? Don't you think it's a little convenient that one of the tribunals more vicious members, a man who is a known player just happens to fall in love with the girl who is trying to take the organization down? Don't you get it, he was playing you! He never cared for you, the only reason he started dating you was to gain your trust. You were going to run that article and ruin everything so I sent him to seduce you and behold his success. You flopped right on your back during what, the third date? I'm amazed you had such restraint." 

"Shut up! Just shut up Kathryn! I don't believe anything you say." 

"Oh then how did I get these photos, huh? Don't they appear to be taken inside your very own room? Face it sweetie everything he felt for you was an act!" 

Tears were falling down Annette's face as she seemed to desperately make sense of what was going on. Finally she shook her head and muttered "I have to get out of here." 

"No so fast" Kathryn grabbed her arm and yanked her back. "I'm not finished with you yet bitch. First thing you're going to hand me over that copy of the article." 

Annette pulled away from her, "why would I do that?" 

Kathryn grinned obviously pleased that she asked. "Because if you publish that piece of trash I'm going to publish these pictures. Then headmaster daddy, your family, the school, and the whole world will know your entire manifesto was a sham." 

Annette looked over to Sebastian as if hoping he'd offer some help but he didn't know what to do. This was after all Kathryn's thing, and he didn't want to interfere. Then again at the same time he would be lying if he said he wasn't shocked by the glee Kathryn seemed to take in breaking the girls heart. For a brief moment Sebastian thought about just telling Annette that she was lying, Marcus did love her but he thought better of it and instead leaned against the wall, trying his best to look disinterested. 

When she realized that she wouldn't be getting any help from him Annette let out a defeated sigh, "fine here's your damn article. It will never see the light of day so long as no one sees these." 

"Deal" 

Annette nodded glumly, her eyes still damp with tears but she was no longer crying. She looked to Sebastian one more time before turning away, "if we're done now I'm-" 

"Not so fast" Kathryn called out to her. Moving past her she blocked the exit, leaning her hip against one side of the door frame and her left hand against the other. "I'm not done yet." 

Rolling his eyes Sebastian finally spoke. "Come on Kathryn you've had your fun." 

She looked over at him the smile not dropping for a second and replied "not quite. Annette do you remember the last time we spoke, in the gym when you bragged about how you were taking me down? Well I promised you then that I would soon get you back for that humiliation and today's the day. You" Kathryn hissed stepping towards Annette, forcing the blond to back further into the room, "are going to do exactly as I say." 

"What do you want from me?!" 

"Entertainment" Kathryn laughed "now walk over to Sebastian." 

He looked over at Kathryn wondering what she was up to but her face gave nothing away. Annette hesitated doing her bidding but when Kathryn continued to block the door and shuffled the photographs around in her hands she finally caved. With a sigh she turned around and walked over to Sebastian. 

Stepping closer to the pair Kathryn then ordered "get on your knees." 

"What?" Annette hissed spinning her head around. "I'm not getting on my knees!" 

Sliding up beside the blond Kathryn whispered in her hear "oh yes you are unless you want the entire city to know you're a fraud. Move!" 

Annette grudgingly got down on her knees in front of him. She looked up at him as if for answers about what was going on but he just shrugged. Sebastian began to feel a tad nauseous as he realized what Kathryn planned to do...but she wouldn't would she? Not even Kathryn was that twisted. 

Then again maybe she was because her next command was, "now I want you to unzip his pants." Immediately Annette whipped her head back around and stared at her in shock. Kathryn just smiled and explained "you're going to give Mr. Valmont a blow job." 

"No I'm NOT! God Kathryn you're out of your mind! That's sick!" 

The headmasters daughter started to get back on her feet but Kathryn quickly pushed her back down on the hard ground. Grasping her by the shoulders she bent down and whispered to her "when did you turn into a prude all of a sudden? The way Marcus tells it you give great blow jobs. Besides I think I've earned seeing you degrade yourself so you're going to service Sebastian and you better make it good." 

"Kathryn" Sebastian snarled at her "this has gone far enough." 

She looked up at him and laughed, "don't be such a pussy Valmont. I know you want it." 

He looked back down at Annette and realized she was crying but keeping her eyes cast down she reached out and slowly fumbled with his belt. Sebastian wasn't aroused by any of this so he wasn't hard. He knew he should push Annette away but he couldn't bring himself to do it. The sad fact was he knew if he didn't play along with Kathryn's sick game she would laugh at him, then probably spread it all around campus that the infamous Sebastian Valmont turned down a free blow job. God he was pathetic. 

As Annette's shaky hands pulled out his flaccid cock Kathryn cocked an eyebrow, "performance anxiety Sebastian?" 

"I'm not in the mood" he answered through clenched teeth. 

Walking over to him she leaned forward and flicked her tongue against his skin. "Come on baby, think back to last night. Didn't you enjoy that? My mouth all around you, licking every inch." 

The memory along with the feel of her warm breath against his ear was enough to send a shiver of excitement through Sebastian but he didn't get hard. Keeping his eyes away from Kathryn he looked down and saw Annette slowly preparing herself to put him in her mouth. The sight of tears streaming down her face as she grasped his limp cock was enough to completely turn him off. Sebastian had participated in many sick acts during his lifetime but this was going too far. 

"Enough!" he called out pushing Annette away from him. Zipping his pants back up he strode towards the door calling out, "games over Kathryn, I'm done with this shit." 

"Where are you going?" she called after him obviously pissed. 

However Sebastian didn't answer her he headed back down the stairs and out of the watchtower. As he stalked across the lawn of Manchester prep that led to the parking lot he shook his head in anger. He never should have let things go that far, he should have walked out of there as soon as Annette arrived but no he was too afraid of being called chicken if he didn't play along. Well not anymore, from now on he was done with Kathryn Merteuil. 

About half way to the parking lot though he realized someone was following him. Even before he recognized the sound of her leather loafers stomping across the wet grass, he knew who it was. Instead of turning around he sped up. She caught up with him quickly though, grabbing his arm and forcing him to stop. "What the hell is your problem Sebastian?" 

"You! You're my problem Kathryn" he sneered tugging his arm out of her grasp. "Do you have any idea how depraved that little stunt was up there?" 

"Oh that's rich coming from the guy who banged his own step mother just to get a rise out of his father!" 

Sebastian was momentarily caught off guard that she knew this but he quickly covered. "Whatever" he walking away. 

Kathryn fell into step beside him. "It was just a game Sebastian, I wanted to see if you really had the balls to go threw with it. Besides the little bitch deserves it after what she did and now there's no way she'll expose the tribunal." 

"Yeah and what was the reason to feed her that bullshit story about Marcus using her huh?" 

"He was using her" she laughed "I told him to go out with her." 

"Yes but we both know he really cares about her." 

"So what if he does? I'm doing him a favor by breaking them up!" 

Sebastian shook his head "you're unbelievable." 

"Sweet fucking Christ" Kathryn snarled as she once against grabbed onto him. "When did you grow a conscious? You don't even believe in love and romance and all that crap." 

"No I don't but that doesn't mean I want to see Marcus get shit on because he does. Jesus Kathryn he's your friend, what do you think he would do if he found out how you betrayed him?" 

"I didn't betray him! It was for the good of the tribunal that I dealt with that mousy little pain in the ass once and for all." 

Sebastian was sick of hearing her lame excuses. The truth was Kathryn would screw over whomever she pleased so long as she got what she wanted in the end. "Well you know what? I'm not one of your tribunal members and I refused to be manipulated and used like them." 

He once again started to storm away and once again Kathryn grabbed him by the arm attempting to pull him back. This time though Sebastian pushed her away roughly causing Kathryn to stumble and fall back on her ass. Turning around he saw Kathryn land on the ground and look up at him in surprise. Sebastian started to help her up and apologize but then he stopped himself. She deserved whatever she got. 

They stared at each other hard for a moment before Kathryn said in an uncharacteristically soft voice, "I thought we were friends." 

"This isn't friendship" he spat "this is fucked up. I'm sick of this game Kathryn. Just leave me the hell alone." 

For once she didn't have a quick reply or witty comeback. When she only stared after him in confused shock Sebastian turned and went to his car. Right then he needed to be as far away from her as possible. 

****** 

Annette read over the tribunal article one last time before tossing the final copy of it into the blazing fire. As she watched it burn she wrapped her arms tighter around her small body wishing she had never heard of the tribunal. Ever since she heard that name a series of betrayals seemed to follow. Jennifer, Sebastian, Joshua and now Marcus. 

Marcus, her sweet Marcus, she had loved him most of all. For the first time in her life she knew what it felt like to fall in love. She trusted him more than any other guy she had ever been with but in the end it turned out to be a lie just like all the rest. He was using her just as many before him had. 

Picking up the black and white photographs that displayed in vivid detail them making love she started to draw them to the fire but then stopped. She couldn't bring herself to do it. In the back of her head a voice kept screaming, Kathryn is lying! She's twisted enough to make up a story like that just to break them up, hell after what she almost made her do she wouldn't put anything past her. Still there was just too much evidence that said Marcus was guilty. 

Once again she started to throw the photos away but then she heard her front door open and Marcus call out to her, "Annette, baby are you here?" 

She shut her eyes as she placed the pictures back on her lap. "I'm in here" she called out weakly. 

Marcus came into the living room, with his typical confident swagger. He was so confident, Annette had never been with a guy with that much self assurance. Not even Sebastian. "Hey what are you doing" he laughed approaching her. "We got dinner reservations in half an hour and I thought you wanted to see that play." When she didn't seem to acknowledge him he called to her, "Annette?" 

Getting up from her spot on the floor she dropped the blanket that had been draped around her and walked past him, shoving the photos against his chest. She didn't watch his expression as he looked at them she just heard him curse, "what the fuck? Where the fuck did you get these?" 

"Kathryn delivered them to me along with her warning. Don't worry I won't be publishing the article, your precious tribunal is safe and we can end this so called relationship now."  


His dark brow wrinkled in confusion "what the hell are you talking about? I had nothing to do with these pictures" 

Annette shook her head sadly, "yeah well Kathryn tells a different story." 

"Well then she's lying! I swear to you I had nothing to do with these pictures. Kathryn must have had us followed and-" 

"Did she tell you to date me?" she asked him suddenly. 

"What?" Marcus repeated obviously caught off guard. 

"She did didn't she?" A look passed over his face that told her she was right. His eyes which always burned so intently into hers darted to the ground in shame. "You asked me out because Kathryn told you to get close to me." 

"No, it wasn't like that" he protested placing his hands on her arms. "Look you're right she told me to get close to you and I agreed. But do you remember that day in school and that talk we had? I could have walked away then but I liked you Annette." 

She threw his arms off of her in anger. "You wanted to make sure I didn't run that article!" 

"No damnit I liked you! I wanted to go out with you, it had nothing to do with the fucking tribunal I swear. Annette you have to believe me, I had nothing to do with those pictures. Kathryn, she must have set up this whole thing! She knew I was falling for you and she couldn't stand that so she concocted this whole story to break us up. I know her Annette and this is just the sort of thing she would do!" 

Her blue eyes welled up with tears as she demanded, "why should I believe you?" 

Wrapping his arms gently around her Marcus pulled her into an embrace. Forcing Annette to look at him he whispered "because I'm in love with you." 

It was the first time he had said it out loud but they both knew he felt that way. Annette didn't need any more assurance, staring into his face so filled with love and devotion she knew the truth. If she was honest she would admit she knew the truth all along. Kathryn had been lying. He loved her and she loved him. 

Throwing her arms around him Annette collapsed against his neck. "I love you too" she admitted. "I'm sorry I doubted you." 

"It's okay" he told her as he soothingly caressed her blond hair. "You don't have anything to apologize for." 

"I never should have believed a word out of that witches mouth" Annette spat. "I should have known this was just another one of her sick games. You think after she tried to make me...oh never mind." 

Marcus pulled away from her and asked "made you do what? Annette what did Kathryn do?" 

****** 

Later that night, just as it was nearing three Sebastian arrived home. He had spent most of the evening sitting at a bar on the West side, drinking and writing in his journal. Ever since his encounter earlier that day with Kathryn he had been desperate to clear his head of her. However that was easier said than done, even with large amounts of alcohol. Sadly enough he wasn't drunk and his mind was still on that conniving bitch. 

Deciding he would go straight to bed he went to his room and opened the door only to find he wasn't alone. Like some bad dream he entered his room and found Kathryn sitting on his bed wearing a small black lace slip, that pushed up her breasts and barely covered her sex. To top it off one of her hands was cuffed to the bed. It was like he walked into his nightmare and fantasy all rolled into one. 

When he arrived Kathryn leaned against his headboard, posing provocatively as she purred, "hey, I was starting to think you would never come home." 

"I'm starting to think I shouldn't have" he shot back. "What the hell are you doing here?" 

Slowly she spread her legs just enough for him to see that she wasn't wearing panties. "What does it look like?" 

Unable to tear his eyes from her open legs he ordered her none to convincingly, "get out." 

"Can't" she sighed. "I'm cuffed to the bed and I've seemed to misplaced the key. Besides by the way you're drooling I'd say you don't really want me to leave." 

Sebastian wiped his mouth self consciously even though he knew he wasn't drooling. Turning away from her he pretended to busy himself at his desk. "Fine do whatever you want" he grumbled. 

Taking a seat at his desk he opened his journal and proceeded to write only he wasn't really writing anything at all only, I hate her, I want her, I want to kill her. 

"Oh, ahh! Ah...oh...mmm" Kathryn moaned loudly. 

Out of the corner of his eye he saw her withering around on his bed as she touched herself. She was fucking masturbating on his bed and she was doing it right in front of him. Sebastian wanted nothing more than to pounce on her and replace her fingers with his throbbing erection but he refused to give into her. He did have his pride. 

"Ahh, yess, yesss.....come here Sebastian, please?" 

"Fuck off" 

"Come on it feels so much better with your fingers inside of me...or your tongue" she winked. 

Getting to his feet suddenly he stormed over to the bed but didn't get on it. "What the hell are you hoping to accomplish with this?" he demanded. "What, I fuck you silly and then forget that I hate you?" 

"You don't hate me" she sighed. "You're just pissed because you think I used you." 

"You did use me!"  


"Well I'm apologizing all right?" 

"No it's not all right!" he yelled back. Taking a deep calming breath Sebastian turned away from her and ordered, "just get your clothes on and leave." 

A moment later he felt Kathryn's soft hand brush against his own. When he looked back at her she asked "what do you want me to say? You're right I went too far with the Annette thing and I shouldn't have gotten you involved." Moving around the bed, with one hand still handcuffed she managed to get on her knees so they were at same height. Reaching out she gently touched his face, "I fucked up, what else do you want?" 

It occurred to Sebastian that this was the first time he witnessed Kathryn showing anything that appeared like genuine affection. It was surprising but also somewhat arousing to know that she wasn't completely ice underneath. He didn't answer her question but rather slid his hand around her waist and pulled her to him. They kissed slow and gently at first but their need eventually over took them. Getting up on the bed Sebastian pushed her back and mounted her as he hungrily kissed her mouth. 

Kathryn moaned softly between kisses, as her legs started to wrap around his torso grinding her lower region into his. As things began to heat up even further between them Sebastian couldn't seem to get a nagging question out of his head. He tried to ignore it but finally he was too overcome with curiosity. Moving away from her he asked breathlessly, "why are you doing this?" 

"I like you" she hissed. "Why the fuck else would I handcuff myself to your bed in nothing but a negligee." 

Sebastian nodded in satisfaction "works for me." Ducking his head down he began to ravage her neck and in-between kisses he told her "just so we're clear, this doesn't mean I'm here to do your bidding. I won't let you manipulate me like you do all the others. You try it again and I promise I won't be as forgiving." 

"We'll see" she giggled wickedly. 

"Such a little bitch" he laughed undoing his pants. 

Just as he was about to plunge inside of her a soft ringing was heard apparently coming from the floor. "It's not mine" he groaned kissing her breasts. 

Kathryn let out a soft breathy moan as he suckled her tit, then reached back for her purse sitting on the night stand. With her free hand she opened it and pulled out her small cell phone. She didn't know who could be calling her at this hour but whoever it was could wait. As her finger went to hit the off button she noticed the familiar phone number flash on the screen. It was Joshua. 

For just a minute she considered weather to take it or not. It could be important but then again Joshua was hundreds of miles away probably just finishing up what she was about to start with Sebastian. When she suddenly felt Sebastian's fingers slid into her, Kathryn's eyes rolled into the back of her head as she sighed in pleasure. Clicking the phone off she tossed it onto the floor and pulled Sebastian back into a kiss. Joshua could wait. 

- to be continued (Please Review) 


	7. Trick or Treat

**The Tribunal**

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**Summary: It's Halloween and no one seems to be having a good night, especially Kathryn.**

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**Chapter 7: Trick or Treat**

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****Mischief was in the air. All throughout Manchester prep pranks were being pulled on unsuspecting teachers, normally bubbly cheerleaders were spray painting their blond hair blue and purple, candy and silly string was being thrown carelessly around the lunchroom and in just about every closet you could find various couples using the rampant chaos as an opportunity to screw around. On any other day this type of behavior would be seen as ludicrous and would not be tolerated. However when October 31st rolled around exceptions were usually made. No one could blame the student body for coming down with a case of Halloween fever. 

Although Headmaster Hardgrove was allowing most of the fun and games go without mention there was one individual who went too far. Instead of attending the annual faculty Halloween brunch the headmaster was forced to skip it in order to deal with the school's latest trouble maker.This understandably made him quite annoyed. 

Sebastian sat slumped in his chair, fiddling with the stethoscope around his neck as a bored expression played out over his face. The headmaster meanwhile just leaned against the desk, staring over at the student dressed in a white doctors coat, completely dumbfounded at his latest stunt. Shaking his head he sighed exasperated, "I don't even know where to start." 

"Well if you'd like I could leave while you think it over" Sebastian suggested as he started to stand up. 

"You're not going anywhere Sebastian" Hardgrove told him, shoving him back in his chair. "Or should I call you Dr. Cuminme." Once he spelled it out he rolled his eyes and moaned "oh lord." 

"Doctors just fine" 

"Can I ask you what you thought you were doing impersonating a physician? Do you have any idea how much trouble you're in?" 

Straightening himself out he replied "well sir in all honesty it was just a harmless little prank. Everyone else was doing them so I didn't see the harm-" 

"The harm?" Hardgrove repeated incredulously. "Sebastian you pretended to be a school doctor, had the nurse send down several of the female students so you could make them strip and...examine them? My god we'll be lucky if we don't get sued by every parent with a child in this school." 

"In all honestly sir I don't think that will be a problem. All of the girls seemed very pleased with their examination. Mrs. Patterson in particular said I was the best-" 

"Wait a minute" he interrupted again. "Mrs. Patterson? You examined the school nurse!?" 

Unable to hold back his smirk Sebastian replied "uh huh." 

He really didn't see what the big deal was. Everyone else in this school was acting like there was a full moon so why shouldn't he use the situation to his advantage? Still Sebastian had to admit this was one of his better stunts. Surprisingly it hadn't been difficult to convince the nurse that he was a physician (who knew all those ER reruns would come in handy?) and even less difficult to have his way with the females. Most of the girls when they spotted him in the examination room knew what was going on and they happily played along with it. The few unsuspecting students were in for...well a surprise but no one had left unhappy. Including Mrs. Patterson. If it wasn't for that faggot football player who freaked when he found his girlfriend with Dr. Cuminme Sebastian would have been home free. 

Then again half the fun was getting caught. 

Holding his head in his hands Hardgrove groaned "what am I going to do with you?" 

Before Sebastian could come up with a suggestion the intercom buzzed and the sound of the elderly secretary's voice filtered into the room. "Sir Ms. Merteuil is here, she says she has to speak with you right away." 

"All right" he sighed. "I'll be right out." Rising to his seat he fixed Sebastian with a hard glare, "don't even think about moving from that seat." 

Sebastian just smirked as the older man left the room. Briefly he flirted with the idea of escaping out the window but he thought better of it. It hadn't surprised him that Kathryn had showed up but he was curious what her reasons were. Undoubtedly she was up to something, when was she not? It was his curiosity that held him in his seat. 

No less than ten minutes after Hardgrove had left the heavy door once again opened but it wasn't the headmasters heavy strides Sebastian heard. Instead came the soft delicate sound of leather loafers against shiny hard wood floor and French perfume that only one person he knew wore. Sebastian didn't look up but continued to stare straight ahead out the window, a smug expression covering his handsome face. "Don't tell me the student body president got called to the headmasters office. Must have broken old Rogers heart." 

Sitting gracefully down in the seat beside him Kathryn crossed her legs and folded her hands on her lap as she stared out the same window as Sebastian. "Don't be ridiculous" she sighed "only degenerates get sent down here, especially on Halloween." 

Letting the dig slide he explained "just having a little harmless fun. By the way don't think I didn't notice you ignored Dr. Cuminme's request that you go to the nurses office." 

A smirk seemed to be trying to escape out of from under her aloof expression but Kathryn wouldn't allow it. The two continued to stare out the window at the football field, not making any eye contact as they spoke in quick rapid dialogue. "Everybody knew what you were up to. I wasn't about to play along with your little stunt. Unlike you I have a reputation to remain." 

"Yes playing the frostiest bitch in the land must be important work and just for your information I too have a rep to maintain." 

"Right, Manchester's own male slut" 

"Jealous?" 

"Dellusional?" 

"Horny?" 

"Not interested" 

At last Sebastian broke his gaze from the window and let his eyes drop down to her bare thighs. Reaching out he rested his right hand casually on her leg. "That's not what you said last night." 

Kathryn flinched when she felt his warm palm on her thigh, his fingers gently caressing her skin. The memory of their previous night together and the nights before that brought a shiver throughout her body that she tried hard to quell. Turning to him she advised "there is a time and a place for everything Valmont." 

When she returned her stare back to the window he did as well but continued to let his hand linger on her thigh. "Why are you here?" 

Before Kathryn could reply the door once again opened and Hardgrove sounding much more chipper then before announced "well Sebastian I think I've figured out what to do with you after all." 

"What's that sir?" As the headmaster fiddled with the file cabinet behind them Sebastian kept his hand on Kathryn leg who was trying unsuccessfully to remove it. When at last Hardgrove turned and returned to his seat he pulled away from her quickly. 

"To be perfectly frank with you son I was considering expelling you. After the stunt you pulled the school board would have demanded it. However Ms. Merteuil has come to me on your behalf and offered an alternate solution." 

Oh fuck, Sebastian thought to himself, that couldn't be good. Glancing over at her, his smile tightening he asked "oh? What's that?" 

Hardgrove smiled obviously pleased as punch about this idea. "I doubt you are aware of this, but Kathryn is the head of a new school program where volunteer students help out at various homeless shelters in the city. It's a very worthwhile project and she has graciously agreed to allow you to join it." He waited a beat before finishing "for the next fourth months." 

Feeling as though he had been sucker punched Sebastian stared dumbfounded, "w-what?" 

"Yes you should thank Kathryn for such an opportunity." 

Staring over at the brunette beside him who was beaming proudly he spat sarcastically "thanks a lot." 

Ignoring his obvious disdain she nodded happily "oh it was my pleasure Sebastian. I would hate for Manchester to loose one of it's brightest students and this way everyone wins!" 

"Oh goody" 

"Sebastian I hope you realize what a good opportunity this is for you" the headmaster chided. "Perhaps you can live up to that fresh start that you talked so much about when you first arrived, hmm?" 

The prospect of spending his afternoons doing charity for a bunch of winos and poor losers was not exactly appealing to Sebastian by any stretch of the imagination. In fact his skin crawled at the very idea. He wanted very much to tell Hardgrove what he could do with his 'good opportunity' but he held his tongue. "When do I start?" he grumbled through clenched teeth. 

"Today at five, Kathryn will tell you where to go." 

"Great, can I go now?" 

"Yes" Hardgrove nodded. "Just try to stay out of trouble for the rest of the day." 

Sebastian nodded at him and turned to leave but not before glancing once more at Kathryn who was now looking up at him with a triumphant grin. As he left the room and stormed off down the empty school corridors he wondered not for the first time why he continued seeing her. It was twisted really, night after night he found himself ending up in her bed where they engaged in long sweaty fuck feasts that left them both sore and aching for more. Then at school she would treat him like shit, deny him any attention and dream up new ways of torturing him. Sebastian didn't know why he continued on with it, he told himself no more but then she would show up at his door dressed in some small sexy slip of a thing, asking to be let in. He always let her in. 

It didn't take a rocket scientist to see why he didn't end things with her. Sebastian had always been led by his dick but with Kathryn it was even worse. It was more than just physical, he was starting to get...attached and that wouldn't do anyone any good. After all Kathryn claimed that she was in love with that Joshua guy even though they rarely discussed him. On the occasions Sebastian brought him up he was quickly shut down and Kathryn would in turn use it as an excuse to leave. She loved Joshua and he was just acting as her designated fuck at the moment. That's all there was to it. 

"Who cares?" Sebastian grumbled to himself as he headed out to the parking lot. Christ, now she had him talking to himself? This wasn't good, he needed to get away from her. 

However as he was fumbling to get his keys out of his pocket a warm hand slid into the opposite pocket and pulled them out. Sebastian looked up to find Kathryn, who leaned against his jag holding up the shiny metal. "When are you going to let me drive this thing?" 

"When hell freezes over or you grow a soul" he snapped grabbing the keys from her. "Which ever comes first." 

"Touchy, touchy" she giggled like a mischievous little girl. "Such hostility even after I saved your ass." 

"Saved my ass? Try screwing me over royally." Shaking his head bitterly he snarled "I hate doing fucking charity." 

"Who does?" 

Sebastian started to move to the other side of the car but then stopped in his tracks. Walking back to her he demanded "why did you feel the need to intervene?" 

Raising a perfect shaped eyebrow she replied "and here I thought I was doing you a favor. Would you have rather had Hardgrove expel you so your daddy can ship you off to that military school in Vermont?" 

"How did you...never mind, I don't want to know." 

Grinning coyly she reached out and gently caressed his groin. "A simple thank you Kathryn, will suffice." 

Pushing back the groan that tried to escape when she touched him Sebastian stepped closer to her and whispered "screw you Kathryn." 

She pulled her hand away and tapped his face, "that's my boy." 

Shaking her head in amusement Kathryn started to moved past him to leave but he wasn't about to allow that. Grabbing her roughly by the arm he thrust her back against the car door then maneuvered himself over her. Sebastian moved in for a kiss but was rebuffed when Kathryn pulled her head back, a teasing grin on her lips. He was about to snarl at her once again when she tongue popped out between her cheery lips and began to slowly trace his lips. 

Sebastian held still as she did, his pants getting tighter in the crotch area. It always amazed him that after everything they had done to each others bodies that such a simple act could have such an affect of him. She was barely touching him and already he was ready to cum. 

When she pulled away from him with a childlike smirk on her face his resolve to forget about her melted. Sliding his hands around her waist he asked "so what time should I expect you tonight?" 

Her confident veneer wavered for just a moment as she said "I can't." 

"Why?" 

"The tribunals Halloween party is tonight." 

He shrugged "skip it." 

"I can't" she sighed "I'm the leader. Besides I want to go." 

"Fine then I'll go with you" it came out more as a statement then a question. 

"No you won't" she explained flatly. "You're not a member-" 

"Oh you got to be kidding me!" Sebastian explained falling against the jag dramatically. "You're the leader, it's not like any of those sheep will challenge you." 

"Rules are rules, now if you decided to join..." 

"That's not going to happen" came his quick reply. Running a hand through his blond curls he sighed "all right then get in. We can go back to my place and I can give you that physical you were denied earlier." 

Kathryn moved away from him, a somewhat amused expression on her face as she shook her head no. Sebastian face suddenly went hard again. Grabbing his sun glasses he slipped them on wanting to hide how disappointed he was with yet another one of her rejections. "Fuck this" he grumbled storming over to the other side of the car and getting in. "Have fun at your party." 

As he started up the car Kathryn rested her hand on the passenger side door and leaned in, "don't pout Valmont, it's just the way things are." 

"Whatever" he snarled as the engine revved and he slammed on the gas. As the car charged forward out of the parking lot Sebastian glanced briefly in the rear view mirror. He was surprised when he looked back and saw Kathryn staring after him. Gone was her confident smile and in it's place was remorse. 

****** 

"Who the fuck gives a shit if the old hag is around anyway" Kathryn spat nastily while her manicured nails scratched anxiously at the fabric of the chair. "By Monday Manchester with have a new student adviser and that's all there is to it. Next." 

The group of tribunal members who were scattered around the living room of Jonathan Buchanan's palatial estate, regarded their leader with hesitation and fear. On most days Kathryn wasn't pleasant to deal with but today she was behaving more nasty than normal. Ever since the meeting began she snarled and snapped at anyone that suggested something. When Milly Anderson brought up that perhaps having the student adviser fired so soon after getting the job might be a little hasty, Kathryn bit her head off causing the girl to run from the room in tears. 

Letting her eyes sweep over the crowd Kathryn rolled her eyes when no one said anything. "Is everything set for the party tonight?" 

After a few seconds of silence Jennifer who was sitting close by with a clipboard in hand replied "yes Kathryn. The ballroom is all ready set up, the west wing pool has been filled, the caterer's are..." 

As she droned on Kathryn's mind began to wander to what was really bothering her. She shouldn't be here, she thought to herself, she should be home in bed with Sebastian moving between her thighs. Well maybe that wasn't what she should be doing but that was what she wanted to be doing. Thinking back to a few hours earlier she scowled at the memory of how Sebastian reacted when she told him she couldn't go with him. He was pissed and he would probably stay pissed until she figured out a way to change his mood. That too could be entertaining. 

Jennifer was still babbling on and Kathryn was still pretending to be listening when the back doors suddenly flew open and Marcus strode into the room. Everyone turned around to look at him including Kathryn. Judging by his hard eyes and clenched jaw she guessed he was angry and she had a pretty good idea about what. It had been well over two weeks since she played her little game with Annette. During that time Marcus had been avoiding tribunal meetings and Kathryn in particular. She had figured Annette had gone whining to him about what she'd done so she hadn't pushed him but after her spat with Sebastian Kathryn had been pissed. She called up Marcus and left a nasty message on his machine ordering him to show up or else. Fuck if she had to go, everyone did. 

"We need to talk" Marcus called out as he stood in the center of the room. 

Sitting up in her seat Kathryn arched an elegant eyebrow, "excuse me? We're in the middle of a meeting." 

"Get your ass in the other room NOW or so help me I'll drag you in there myself" he hollered. 

Although she was shocked and angry at being addressed in such away Kathryn was in no way ready to see if he would follow through on his threat. Attempting to save face the best she could she held her head high in the air, rose to her feat and said "fine, let's go but make it quick." 

Kathryn pushed her way past the crowd knowing damn well every eye was on her and followed Marcus out of the room and across the hall to the study. Once the heavy door was closed behind them she hissed "what the hell do you think you are doing talking to me like that? So help me if we weren't friends Marcus I would-" 

"Friends?" he interrupted her. "You think we're friends after what you did?"  


"What I did?" 

He shook his head at her as he slammed his fist down onto the mahogany desk. "You know damn well what I'm talking about! I know all about what you tried to do to Annette. Did you think I wouldn't find out?" Before she could reply he answered his own question. "No of course you did, that's probably why you did it. Was it suppose to be some sort of warning? You didn't like what was going on between Annette and I so you decided to hurt her for it. Having us followed and photographed in BED wasn't enough for you was it? God damn you are a lot sicker than even I knew." 

"If you'd shut the fuck up I'll explain" Kathryn spat. 

Stopping suddenly Marcus let out a cold laugh, "oh I'm sure you will. You'll spout a bunch of bullshit that you'll expect me to buy but remember Kathryn I'm not one of THEM." Stepping closer to her his dark brown eyes locked on her as he whispered "I'm just as good if not better at this game then you are." 

Taking a step back from him Kathryn held her head up as she tried to hide how uneasy he was making her. He was right, Marcus could be just as dangerous as herself when crossed. "This is your own doing you know." 

"What?" 

"I gave you a simple assignment" she snarled at him, fists clenched firmly at her side. "All you had to do was make nice with the Nancy Drew wannabe but no you had to go and fall for her. How fucking clique!"  


"That's priceless coming from you" he laughed. "Correct me if I'm wrong but aren't you the one who used Joshua to get to the leader position only you fell in love with him?" 

"Shut up! Leave him out of this. You're just pissed because you know you're the one who screwed up. Do you have any idea how stupid it is getting involved with the god damn headmasters daughter? She's trying to destroy us and instead of helping me take her down you're deafening her!" 

"Annette is not a threat" he replied confidently. "Now your lovers on the other hand..." 

Kathryn flinched "what the hell are you talking about?" 

Marcus started to circled her as he called out loudly "I'm talking about you fucking Sebastian!" 

She was surprised at him knowing this until she recalled Sebastian telling her he accidentally let it slip. At the time it hadn't bothered her that much but now with Marcus in the mood he was in the information could potentially hurt her. Looking past him to the closed door she hissed "keep your voice down." 

"Why should I? It's only a matter of time before everyone knows. You two aren't exactly being discreet." Marcus shook his head in disgust "you're such a little hypocrite, going after Annette when you're screwing around with the tribunals real enemy. Sebastian's been trying to destroy us ever since he arrived here and we both know he's the one who got Annette that info for her article in the first place." 

"I can control Valmont" Kathryn explained confidently. "He's no longer a problem." 

"You aren't that good in bed" he snickered. 

Kathryn's eyes went wide "who the hell do you think you are to talk to me like that? Is this that little bitches influence?" 

"Shut up Kathryn!" 

"Oh have I hit a nerve?" She prodded, stepping closer to him, her voice filled with malevolence. "That stupid, piece of trailer trash has really done a number on you. Well if I were you I wouldn't get too attached. She's just a common whore and it's only a matter of time before-" 

Kathryn's bitter diatribe was suddenly interrupted by a hard smack to the face that sent her reeling backwards. She stumbled briefly before steadying herself on a chair. The hit hurt but it shocked her more than anything. Rubbing her cheek she looked back at Marcus who's eyes were already filling with regret, and breathed "you fucking bastard." 

"Kathryn you-" 

Pulling her clenched fist back suddenly she punched him hard in the jaw sending Marcus tumbling backwards against the desk. With her cheek and now her hand throbbing Kathryn watched him collect his barings and get back on his feet. "You touch me again like that and I swear to god I'll personally have your testicles removed from your body." 

Marcus rubbed his jaw with one hand and held the other one up in a show of surrender. As they both caught their breath she told him "if you want out of the tribunal I'll arrange it." 

"I'm not going anywhere" he told her coldly. 

"Well I'm certainly not if that's what you're after" she spat back. "Just remember I'm the leader and if you're going to belong you're going to obey me." 

When Marcus sat back on the desk and regarded her with cold indifference she rolled her eyes at him and stormed out. Her cheek was throbbing and she was in dire need of some ice. Kathryn was in such a hurry however she didn't catch Marcus's last comment to her. As he rubbed a hand over his quickly bruising jaw, her last comment played over in his head. Staring after her as she left he muttered "we'll see about that." 

****** 

An old man with greasy gray hair and a worn army jacket stood before Annette with a plastic soup bowl in his hand. Smiling kindly at him she dipped the metal ladle into the batch of steaming cream of chowder soup and filled it for him. "There you go" she said pleasantly "you can get some bread to go with that at the end of the line, enjoy." 

"God bless you" he nodded before moving on down the line. 

Annette looked up to see no more takers in front of her. Realizing she had no body else to feed for the time being she stepped away from the food and started to removed the hair net holding up her soft blond hair. "I think we're done Ruby" she told the small oriental girl on her left. "We can start cleaning up now and then you can take off." 

"Okay" she replied as she began gathering up utensils to bring back to the kitchen. 

Although volunteering at a soup kitchen wasn't exactly her idea of how to spend her Halloween, Annette none the less enjoyed the way helping others made her feel. Still she had wished Marcus would have volunteered along with her. When she brought it up he made it very clear that soup kitchens weren't his thing. Annette hadn't pushed him, that was just who he was and she wouldn't change him for anything. 

As she began gathering the pots and cleaning up the table Annette wondered if perhaps the real reason he didn't want to join her was because the volunteer program was being led by Kathryn. Ever since she told him about the incident in the watchtower Marcus had been on the war path concerning Kathryn. She told him to let it go but he swore to her he was going to pay her back for this. Annette was starting to regret telling him in the first place. 

Just as she expected though Kathryn hadn't showed up to volunteer which in a way was a relief to her. Annette really was in no mood to have to take orders from Kathryn and pretend her insults didn't bother her. In fact she'd be happy if she didn't have to hear the name Kathryn Merteuil ever again. 

"Hey our other volunteer finally showed up" Ruby said as she pulled off the white cotton apron from around her neck. Annette began to tense when she thought the enemy possibly showed up after all. "And he's a cutie." 

Letting out a sigh of relief Annette laughed, "okay. Well you go ahead and take off. Me and the cutie will finish up." 

"Bye" 

Picking up the heavy pot of soup Annette pushed through the swinging door to the kitchen. When she spotted the other volunteer leaning against the cabinet smoking a cigarette, she nearly dropped the soup. "Sebastian?" she remarked in surprise. 

"Hey" he greeted her the boredom evident in his voice. 

After resting the heavy pan on the stove with a loud thud she turned to him and exclaimed "you're volunteering?"  


"I believe your father likes to call it forcible rehabilitation" he remarked with scorn. 

Annette couldn't help but smirk, "I see. This wouldn't have anything to do with you playing doctor with half the female student body would it?" 

A smirk spread across his face, "you heard about that?" 

"Yeah I think everyone did. You're lucky my father didn't expel you for that stunt." Washing her hands in the sink she advised "perhaps you should consider acting your age for once, before it gets you in some real trouble." 

After taking one last drag off his cigarette he tossed it to the ground in disdain. "You sound like Kathryn" he grumbled. 

Annette turned the water off and flicked her wet hands in Sebastian's direction. "Was that a dig?" 

"I suppose it can be seen that way" he replied with a short laugh as he rubbed the wet droplets of water from his jacket. Looking up his blue eyes met hers as they did his face became serious. "Look about what happened that day in the watch tower. I...um...it shouldn't of happened." 

Annette, remembering Sebastian thing about apologizing, knew this was as close to one as she was going to get with him so she smiled and nodded. "It's okay, it wasn't your fault anyway." 

He nodded "yeah well for what it's worth I don't think Kathryn would have gone through with it anyway." 

"I'm just glad I didn't have to find out" she sighed. As she resumed stacking dishes and cups Annette's gaze fell on Sebastian who was staring off into space, deep in thought. Over come with sudden curiosity she asked him "can I ask you a question?" 

"Could I stop you?" 

"Why do you like her?" 

Blinking in surprise he shifted back against the wall uncomfortably and explained "I don't. It's just sex, that's all." 

Annette laughed seeing the usually self assured Valmont falter and stumble. "No it's not" she told him. "If that's all it was you wouldn't be so quick to jump to her defense. You like her and I'm just curious what the attraction is." Sebastian smirked and opened his mouth to speak but she stopped him, sure he was about to go on about the greatness of her tits and ass. "I know she's beautiful and sexy and whatever, I'm asking what's her appeal outside of the physical realm." 

Sebastian seemed to think about this a moment and as he did it occurred to Annette this might be the first time he ever gave his feelings towards Kathryn any real thought. When he didn't answer her right away she began to wonder if perhaps she was off when she suggested he liked her but then... 

"She's different than she seems" he replied quietly. 

"Oh you mean she's not evil?" Annette quipped. When Sebastian only glared at her she said "sorry, go on." 

"Look I know she's not a good person or even a halfway decent one, I'll give you that but she not the antichrist either. She has to be cold and mean because, well she enjoys it, and because that's the only way she knows to survive. Kathryn has feeling and is capable of being vulnerable she just doesn't show it like everyone else. I mean look at her and Joshua. She loves him" he said with surprising bitterness. 

"And you hate that" Annette observed. 

"I don't like being second best" Sebastian sneered his eyes looking at her intently. "That's all I'd ever be to her so long as he's in the picture." 

"I see" she said walking over to his side of the table. "Sebastian you're missing one crucial element." 

"What's that?" 

"Joshua isn't here, he's hundreds of miles away. Who knows if and when he's ever coming back. If I were you I'd use those powers of persuasion you're so famous for and make Kathryn forget there ever was a Joshua." 

A look of realization passed through Sebastian's face as he grinned at the idea. Running a hand across his lips he remarked "I could do that." 

"Yes I imagine you could after all you almost had be believing I was in love with you." 

"That's true" he snickered. 

Annette rolled her eyes as she turned away from him. "Feel free to leave now Sebastian." 

"Yeah thanks" he said hurriedly as he started to leave. Stopping in his tracks he turned back to her and asked "wait a minute the tribunal is having a party tonight aren't they?" 

"Yes" she sighed "but it's for members only." 

"We'll see" Sebastian scoffed. "You wouldn't happen to know where it's being held would you?" 

****** 

Kathryn was really starting to detest Halloween. Perhaps it was just the fucking lousy day she had been having so far that had put her in such a foul mood but she certainly wasn't feeling festive. Leaning against the staircase she gazed out at the fifty or so partiers gathered around the ballroom who were grinding to the music, drinking and an assortment of other naughty things. Everyone was dressed in costumes, some the typical devil, witch,, princess and other somewhat more creative like a slutty strawberry shortcake and Caligula walking around with two naked guys of a leash. 

For her part Kathryn too had come in costume even though she hadn't felt like it. Deciding to go as Mia Wallace from Pulp Fiction she wore a short black wig that fell not quite to her shoulders, a tight white button down dress shirt, three-quarter black pants, a pair of black flats, blood red lipstick and a matching manicure. The topper of course was the added accessory, the cocaine tucked in her bra. Kathryn was most definitely going to be using that later. 

Lighting up a cigarette she puffed on it glumly as 'Time Warp' from Rocky Horror throbbed in her head. Feeling bored she wondered if perhaps she should just take off and go to Sebastian's. After all no one would really notice if she left and Kathryn had a strange need to see him once again...but no she couldn't. She was already spending far too much time with him as it was. Practically every night she was in his bed or he was in hers. It was only a matter of time before Joshua came back home and then she would have to give up Sebastian all together. The thought left her with a sudden pang in her stomach. 

Suddenly out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of Marcus hovering by the opposite wall. He was chatting up some guy dressed as Zorro and the anger that was so evident on his face earlier was replaced with his typical charming smile. He was dressed as a boxer in a pair of shorts, a towel slung around his neck and a fresh bruise of his cheek that Kathryn knew was all too real. 

Watching him she realized she was going to have to try and make up with him. Besides the fact that he was one of the few real friends she had, Marcus could be quite devious if he wanted to and if he wanted revenge on her it wouldn't be pretty. So with a confident smirk Kathryn strut up to him and said "hey daddy O, who gave you the shiner?" 

When Zorro took off Marcus smile fell as he stared at her coldly and grumbled "who do you think?" 

Reaching out she gently touched the bruise and asked "does it hurt?" 

"Don't" he warned pulling her hand away. 

"Quit being a dick, my face is still hurting from earlier you know. I had to wear a pound of make up just to cover it up" she explained touching her own cheek. 

Sipping his bourbon he snarled "what do you want an apology? Fine, I shouldn't have hit you." 

"No you shouldn't but I forgive you" she told him with a bright smile. Grabbing his arm Kathryn said "come on, dance with me." 

Marcus didn't budge, he only stared at her blankly and said "no. You can't charm your way out of this one Kathryn, you went too far this time. I'm not just going to forget about what you did to Annette." 

Annette, god if she had to hear that name just one more time she really would loose it. Unable to contain her annoyance she hissed at him "does everything have to come back to her? God I'm so sick of that-" 

"I love her Kathryn" he interrupted suddenly. 

The thought that her darling Marcus, a guy who use to pride himself on his cunning ability to deceive the opposite sex so well had actually fallen for that Kansas hillbilly was enough to make her scream. Shaking her head she told him "it won't last. She'll be out of your system soon enough and then maybe we can be friends again." 

Kathryn had been staring at him so intently she didn't realize she was clutching his arm until he pulled away from her. With an expression that was more pity than anger Marcus told her "it doesn't work like that." 

Walking pass her he disappeared into the crowd leaving Kathryn to stare blindly into space. In that moment everything was just a little too real. Marcus's anger towards her, her desire for Sebastian and her longing to see Joshua again, it was all there in that moment and it was just so...painful. It hurt so badly she wanted to scream and claw at her chest until there was nothing left. 

Reaching up to her chest, her nails began to dig in when she felt a soft pouch against her breast. Sliding her hand into her shirt she pulled out the small white baggy filled with high priced cocaine. Staring at it blankly for a moment a smile eventually crept on her face. It wouldn't solve things but it would sure as hell make her feel better. _Disco_. 

****** 

Come three a.m. everything was dead. As Kathryn wandered out of the large bedroom she had been occupying for most of the night she stepped into the hallway to find the noise from earlier that evening was gone. In it's place though she could hear sporadic grunts and moans coming from the various bedrooms. Well at least someone was having fun. 

Kathryn's fun hadn't lasted long. Shortly after snorting most of her cocaine her nose started to bleed and her high hadn't lasted long. Now cleaned up somewhat she traveled downstairs to find only a few people milling about. A couple ran across the ball room hand in hand giggling. Watching them Kathryn nearly smiled as she continued on her way to nowhere in particular. 

As she headed down another hall she noticed for the first time the music that was coming out of one of the speakers. It was a haunting Tori Amos song that for some reason or another reminded her of Sebastian. Actually it was the lyrics that made her think of him, or rather her feeling for him. 

_I'm not in love, so don't forget it  
It's just a silly phase I'm going through  
And just because I call you up  
Don't get me wrong, don't think you've got it made_

As the words played over in her head she began to consider the song more carefully. Wait, wasn't that about someone who was in love? That reminded her she had to call Joshua. 

Eventually she got to the end of the hallway and ended up in the room with the indoor pool. Currently it was empty of people but it was overrunning with frothy bubbles. Reaching into her pocket she pulled out her tiny cell phone and started to dial Joshua's number. As she listened to it ring intently she wondered if he could be sleeping or more likely out with someone. So caught up in her phone call Kathryn hadn't heard the foot steps behind her. 

"Trick or treat" 

The voice in her ear startled her so she shrieked and dropped her phone. Spinning around she came face to face with Sebastian's amused grin. "What the fuck!?" she yelled slapping his arm. "You scared the living hell out of me!" 

"I can see that" he chuckled. 

"What are you doing here?" she demanded looking around as if thinking someone would jump out and catch them. "I told you this party is for tribunal members only." 

Sebastian nodded completely unfazed by her nasty temper. "Yes I know but it doesn't look like anyone's around any way so who cares?" 

"I care" Kathryn spat as she grabbed his arm and started to pull him towards the door. "You're leaving NOW." 

Pulling easily out of her grip he didn't budge but he did look her over as if noticing for the first time that she was in costume. Licking his lips lasciviously he remarked "you make one hell of a sexy Uma Thurman baby." 

"I know" 

He smirked at her confidence, "who were you calling?" 

Forgetting for a moment her willingness to throw him out Kathryn walked over to her cell phone now resting on the floor and picked it up. "Joshua" she answered him glumly. 

"Don't tell me, no answer?" Sebastian said in her ear as he pressed himself against her back. "Don't worry Kathryn I'm sure the girl he's out with is nowhere near as pretty as you. Probably." 

Kathryn slammed her elbow back into his rib "shut up before I have security throw you out." 

Clutching his rib he laughed "you haven't so far, I think I'm home free." Reaching out he touched her cheek that was hit earlier. "Who gave you that?" 

"Marcus" 

Sebastian laughed "what did you do this time?" 

Kathryn scowled at him "he found out about Annette and the pictures. Thanks for your show of concern." 

"Well something tells me you hit him back just as good" he replied with an affectionate smile. 

As he gently caressed her cheek Kathryn felt herself soften towards him. "I thought you were mad at me?" 

"Would you rather I was?" Sebastian asked knowing it put her in a tight situation. If she replied no she would admit feelings towards him and he knew she hated doing that. He all but had to twist her arm just for her to grudgingly admit she liked him. 

Attempting to act aloof Kathryn replied "I don't care." 

"Liar" Sebastian whispered in her ear before brushing past her. 

Turning around she watched as he started taking his shirt and pants off. Crossing her arms to her chest she demanded "what are you doing?" 

"I'm going to take a bubble bath what does it look like" he said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. 

Getting momentarily distracted by the sight of his naked form she looked away from sex and back to his face. "Well I'm not going to." 

"Yes you are" he told her before diving into the bubbles. As he rose to the surface he tossed his head back and ran a hand through his damp hair. "You better get your ass in here." 

"And if I don't?" 

Sebastian laughed "then I'm not coming out. It might be a tad difficult to explain to the tribunal sheep why you let a non member into the party." 

Even though it was a lame threat Kathryn played along and grumbled "fine." Taking her time she unbuttoned her white shirt an then slowly slid out of her pants. As she did she couldn't help but enjoy the way Sebastian's eyes swept over her body and he smiled like a little boy at Christmas. He always acted like it was the first time he was seeing her naked. 

Keeping her bra and panties on, if only to torture him some more, Kathryn dove gracefully into the pool. When she popped up a few feet from Sebastian she ran a hand over her hair, surprised the wig had stayed on. "There, happy?" 

"I'll be a lot happier when you get the rest of it off." 

"Tough shit" she snickered. "If you want it off you're going to have to do it yourself." 

Laughing at this challenge Sebastian told her "not a problem." 

He dove back under the water and a moment later Kathryn felt his hands tug at her panties. She squealed and kicked him as she attempted to swim away. Sebastian grabbed her by the leg though and pulled her into his arms. As he held her in one arm and used the other hand to pull the flimsy fabric from her body Kathryn found herself laughing. "Stop it! Sebastian stop!" 

"Wait, I almost got it" he grinned clutching the elastic. Pulling it down he soon managed to slide her panties down her legs. Holding them up triumphantly Sebastian laughed "one down, one to go." 

"No!" Kathryn exclaimed with a playful grin. Once again she tried to swim away but Sebastian grabbed her from around the waist, pulling her back to him. His hands moved up her stomach and started yanking at the straps of her bra. As he did this his fingers rubbed against her stomach causing her to giggle almost uncontrollably. 

"Oh my god" Sebastian remarked in amazement. "How did I miss this before? You're ticklish!" 

"No, no I'm not!" she argued through shrieks. "Knock it off!" 

"Why?" he laughed "you seem to be enjoying it." 

"Stop" she laughed, "it's not funny! Stop" 

Sebastian kept it up however obviously enjoying his new power over her. Desperate to make it stop Kathryn turned her head around and quickly pressed her lips hard against his. Sebastian's movements stopped then as his hands fell around her waist and she turned her body around. While her tongue slid inside his mouth Kathryn's legs wrapped around his waist and she smashed her pelvis against his groin. The sensation caused Sebastian to groan into her mouth and grip her backside ever harder. 

Breaking from the kiss, still a little breathless Kathryn asked "still think you can get that bra off?" 

****** 

As Kathryn bobbed under the water and Sebastian followed after her they laughed playfully completely unaware that they were being watched. On the third floor of the Buchanan mansion, Marcus sat in the office that acted as a security room. In sporadic places around the house were cameras, one of which was located in the pool room, that recorded everything. As he stared up at the large monitor that currently showed the happy couple frolicking in the pool of bubbles, Marcus scowled. 

It was strange that up until now he hadn't noticed it. He just assumed what was going on between Kathryn and Sebastian was pure and simple lust. But now as he watched them laughing and acting like intimate lovers he realized a starting truth. Kathryn liked him. Maybe even more than _liked_. 

The fact that she was cheating on her boyfriend didn't really bother Marcus. Truth be told Joshua had never exactly been one of his close friends, so his feelings weren't a concern. What did bother him though was Kathryn's blatant hypocrisy. She was trying to destroy his relationship with Annette all for the supposed good of the tribunal. Now here she was screwing around with one of it's biggest rivals at a PRIVATE party for Christ's sake. It wasn't right. 

He came to the conclusion then if Kathryn could screw with his relationship he could very well return the favor. Reaching into his coat pocket Marcus pulled out his cell phone, his eyes still locked on the monitor. He dialed and waited for the familiar voice to greet him. Just as Sebastian and Kathryn began kissing once again, Joshua's picked up "hello?" 

"Hey it's Marcus, we have a problem regarding Kathryn." Staring at the couple intently he explained "you have to come home right away." 

- to be continued (Please Review) 

  



	8. A Dyslexic Heart

**The Tribunal**

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**Summary: Just as Kathryn and Sebastian's relationship is deepening, Joshua returns. Meanwhile Marcus begins to have serious regrets about his revenge.**

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**Chapter 8: A Dyslexic Heart**

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****Kathryn could extend her leg farther than anyone else in class. She was graceful, poised, and could move about the room so delicately it was as if her feet never touched the floor. However she had a sneaking suspicion that this wasn't what made her the teachers pet. 

Mademoiselle Caulfield, the middle aged ballet instructor who claimed to once have been a member of the Joffrey Ballet, examined all the females as they stretched out along the bar but stopped in front of Kathryn. Placing a hand on her shoulder her eyes seemed to sweep over the younger girls form appreciably as she told her "well done Kathryn." 

"Thank you" she replied with a sweet smile of gratitude. As soon as she passed Kathryn dropped her smile and rolled her eyes. _Most definitely a dyke_. Oh well, if it got her out of ballet a few times a week... 

Ballet was such a tedious and useless exercise that she usually skipped. However if she didn't put in an appearance once in awhile someone might get suspicious that Kathryn Merteuil wasn't as wholesome as she appeared and she couldn't have that. Besides it could be worse, she could attend a public school where gym class consisted of dodge ball and field hockey. Manchester's idea of Phys Ed was ballet and ridding while the boys enjoyed fox hunting and fencing. 

With little interest Kathryn turned her attention back to Isabel Kennedy who was currently holding court beside her. Tall, blond, with sparkling blue eyes and perfect cheekbones, Isabel might have been competition for Kathryn had she a thought outside her pretty head that extended beyond dating and clothes. Sure she was popular and snobbish but there was no mystery to her. She was like the mean girl character from some lame teen movie Although Kathryn couldn't stand the little bitch (she'd spent a great deal of effort over the years making sure Isabel staid out of the tribunal) she smiled and played along like she gave a shit about anything she was saying. 

"So I told him there's no fucking way I'd ever show up to the formal with him. I mean after his parents lost half their money in the stock market there's no way I would be seen with that loser. I don't care how much he loves me!" 

"You're so bad Isabel" Marisa, one of her underlings chided playfully as the other girls giggled around her. "So who are you taking to the formal?"  


_Yes Isie, do tell_ Kathryn snickered to herself. Knowing Isabel she probably had her eye on one of her left overs. With a coy smile she blond said "well I've been thinking it over and there's really only one guy in this hell hole who's even worth taking." She paused dramatically before revealing "Sebastian Valmont." 

Kathryn's leg slipped from the bar as she glared over at Isabel. That little tramp actually thought she had a chance with Sebastian? It was a pathetic assumption of course and not very likely but it still made Kathryn's blood boil all the same. 

Apparently she wasn't the only one who thought it a long shot that Sebastian would go with her. The girls all exchanged knowing looks before a black girl named Rachel asked "you're going with Sebastian? Did he ask you already?" 

"No, not yet" Isabel said confidently. "But he will and if he doesn't I'll just make it clear that he goes with me and he'll get the ride of a lifetime." 

This was met with a few snickers but Kathryn merely rolled her eyes wondering if Isabel had ever ridden anything besides a horse or a football player before. Still she continued babbling on, "I know he never dates girls longer than a few weeks-" 

"Or a least until he gets in their panties" piped in a pretty junior. 

Isabel's eyes narrowed at her as she lamented "who cares? He's taking me and we'll be the hottest couple there. Mark my words." 

As the girls resumed chatting and Kathryn wondered if Sebastian would ever consider anything with the twit outside of a blow job, Isabel suddenly appeared beside her with a fake smile. "So Kathryn since Joshua isn't here, who are you going to take to the formal?" 

Her tone sounded pleasant and sweet but Kathryn could read the taunting look on her face. Isabel had always had a thing for Joshua but to her knowledge nothing ever came from it and if something did she didn't want to know about it. Still the little witch raised an interesting question. In previous years Kathryn had always gone with Joshua but now since he most likely wouldn't be able to take her she didn't know who she'd go with. Marcus would undoubtedly take Annette and there was really no one else she would want to go with outside of... 

"Actually I'm taking Sebastian" Kathryn told her surprising even herself as the words fell out of her mouth. She wasn't sure why she had said it, she just wanted to wipe that snotty look from Isabel's face. 

Evidentially it worked because as the other girls fell into a stunned silence Isabel's eyes went wide and she stammered "S-Sebastian? You are going with Sebastian Valmont to the formal?" 

Kathryn smirked "yes I am, he asked me earlier and I excepted." With a phony look of sympathy she added "I'm so sorry Isabel but I guess you're too late." 

Before the blond could question her further Mademoiselle Caulfield clapped her hands, signaling the end of class, and said "that's it for today girls. Go change and I'll see you on Monday." 

As the class began to empty out Isabel and her groupies slowly walked past her each looking at her with awe and curiosity. For her part Kathryn relished their shock. Yes it was true Sebastian hadn't asked her yet and if they did indeed go together it might raise a few questions, especially with Joshua, but it was worth it. Just to see the look on Isabel's face and hell everyone else's when they learned perfect Kathryn Merteuil was going to the formal with perennial bad boy Sebastian Valmont. 

She was chuckling to herself when Marcus suddenly appeared in the doorway. "Hey can we talk a minute?" 

Kathryn looked up at him in surprise, now it was her turn to be confused. Since the Halloween party a few weeks ago, Marcus hadn't said much to her. Sure he attended the tribunal meetings and whatnot but he never really acknowledged her. This had oddly enough hurt her a little bit but Kathryn supposed it was better than them hitting each other and engaging in constant screaming matches. 

That's why when Marcus appeared suddenly wanting to play nice she was a little cautious. "You want to talk? About what?" 

"Actually" he explained as he stepped into the room "I wanted to apologize for the way I've been behaving towards you." 

Kathryn cocked an eyebrow "did you?"  


"Yeah look, I know what you did to Annette...you thought you were doing it for the good of the tribunal and in your own twisted way you were trying to help me. Even though you went about it the completely wrong way, I shouldn't have reacted the way I did." 

Crossing her arms to her chest she replied "no you shouldn't have. So you're telling me that all is forgiven and forgotten? You expect me to buy that?" 

Marcus let out a deep laugh as his eyes seemed to twinkle in amusement. "God I've forgotten how paranoid you can be." 

"Well I haven't forgotten how conniving you can be" she volleyed back still not sure if she should believe anything he said. After all there was no reason for him suddenly to offer her forgiveness. "Why the sudden change of heart?" 

His confident smile wavering somewhat as he moved closer to her. "Actually Annette's the reason."  


"She dumped you?" Kathryn asked brightly. 

"No but she did make me realize that carrying around this anger towards you isn't solving anything. Yes you tried to break up Annette and me but it didn't work so we're even now. 

"Even?" 

Marcus sighed "come on Kathryn what more do you want?" 

She wanted the fucking truth but she had a feeling she wasn't going to get that. She had known Marcus a long time and knew him well enough that he didn't just let things go, especially what she did to Annette. Still Kathryn missed her friend and realized it was probably better to play along in order to stay one step ahead of him. 

"You're right" Kathryn told him. "I'm sorry for not trusting you, force of habit. Thank you for forgiving me Marcus." 

"Hey" he laughed softly as he pulled her into an embrace. "What are friends for?" 

Kathryn hugged him back but her eyes darkened in worry behind his back as one constant question ran through her head. _What did he mean by even?_

__

****** 

"Keep your eyes on the road!" Kathryn commanded as the jag swerved back over into the right lane, coming just inches from an oncoming truck. 

The near accident and the distressed passenger only made Sebastian chuckle. "You need to calm down princess." 

"You need to learn to drive moron"  


Sebastian glanced over at her and sneered "I could pull over and let you walk the rest of the way home if you'd like." 

Kathryn coldly stared straight ahead until finally turning back to him with a smile. "Sorry" she murmured as she undid her seat belt and leaned over towards him. As the car slowed down in front of a traffic light she began kissing his neck, letting her tongue slide against his smooth skin and simultaneously sending a shiver down his body. Taking his hand off the wheel Sebastian cupped her face and drew her lips to his. They kissed hard and hungrily, with his hands getting tangled in her dark locks. 

Even when the drivers behind them began honking their horns and screaming out obscenities, Sebastian didn't pull away from her, desperately wanting to feel her warmth rather than the cold November air. Finally when the guy behind him in the Buick threatened to rear end him if he didn't move Sebastian broke the kiss. Whipping his head around at the guy he screamed "fuck you, trailer park! Keep that piece of shit off my bumper!" 

Slamming on the gas his jag flew forward into traffic causing Kathryn to sit back in her seat. Placing her large black sunglasses back on her face she sighed as the wind wiped through her hair. "There is something we need to discuss." 

Sebastian raised an eyebrow as he drawled, "that sounds pleasant. This wouldn't have anything to do with you asking for a ride home would it?" 

Following the last class of the day Sebastian came out to the parking lot to find Kathryn resting against his car. Before he could ask her what she was doing she quickly climbed into the passengers seat and demanded that he take her home. It was true they had been screwing around with each other for over a month now but she still made certain that they were never seen in public together, which was why this sudden openness was throwing him just a little. It also made Sebastian more than a little suspicious. 

Ignoring his attitude Kathryn explained "Isabel Kennedy is making it known that she intends for you to take her to the Manchester formal." 

Sebastian snickered at this, "not fucking likely. Outside of the fact that I don't intend on stepping one foot into that god damn party, I certainly wouldn't go with her. Why on earth she ever though I would is beyond me, unless of course she thinks that hand job she gave me actually meant anything." 

He knew mentioning this would get a reaction out of her and he wasn't disappointed. "Hand job?" she repeated in her best ice cold voice. "You're telling me Isabel Kennedy's hand was on your dick?" 

"That's generally what a hand job involves" he answered dryly. 

"When? Were you fucking me at the time?" 

With a smirk he replied "sort of." Kathryn didn't ask him to elaborate and instead threw herself back against her seat with an angry huff. Watching her out of the corner of his eye, Sebastian's lips curved in amusement. "You wouldn't be jealous now would you Kathryn?" 

"If you want to waste your time with insipid little sluts that's your business" she hissed. 

"I'll take that as a yes." 

Rolling her eyes at his comment she went on, "anyway it's expected of me that I attend so I'm going to need a date. Since Joshua is out of town and unavailable I'm not sure who to go with." 

At first Sebastian just assumed this sudden change in topic was her way of trying to make him jealous. Deciding not to give into her he replied in a bored tone, "why don't you take Marcus." 

"He has a girlfriend" 

"When has that ever stopped you before?" When Kathryn only glared at him he laughed. "Take one of your little tribunal members. I'm sure they'd be honored to take the queen be to homecoming." 

"It's not homecoming" she informed him "it's the formal and it is a big deal. I need the perfect date and I'm not sure who I can get on such short notice. Then again perhaps Bobby Perkins is available, he's sort of yummy..." 

"Yummy?" Sebastian repeated in disgust. "You're going to a dance together, you make it sound like you'll be...wait, are you going to fuck him?" 

She shrugged "it is customary that couples get a room after the party. It would seem impolite if I denied him. It's just too bad you have no interest in going." 

Slowly Sebastian looked away from the road and over to her. It was finally starting to dawn on him what she was really doing. Kathryn wasn't trying to make him jealous so much as get HIM to ask her to the formal. He was rather surprised at this but then again it did make sense. Kathryn probably heard that Isabel wanted to go with him, therefor she had to beat her to the quick. She always wanted what someone else had. 

Not letting on that he was aware of what she was doing Sebastian told her "no I have no interest in such lame events. Now if I were you I'd simply ask Court or one of your other ex's. You can attend the party together and you won't feel obliged to screw him. You can dump him afterwards and you won't have to worry about him being angry because he already knows your a bitch. Yes, this way everyone wins, you can go to your stupid dance and I get to fuck you afterwards." 

Judging by the look on her face Kathryn seemed stumped for an argument. Finally she muttered "I suppose that could work." 

Sebastian nodded "it's perfect. Here, why don't you give him a call and ask him" he offered her his cell phone. 

Taking it from him Kathryn studied it a moment before turning and tossing it away. Sebastian's head shot backwards just in time to see it clutter to the side walk before they zoomed by it. "What the fuck!?" he roared. "I just got that!" 

"I'm NOT going with Court to the formal" she snarled in her best uppity voice. 

"Then who are you going with?" 

Leaning over him once again she slid her index finger under his chin forcing him to look at her. Lifting her sunglasses up she replied "you." 

Fixing his eyes of the road he said "I don't think so." 

When they at last arrived at the Merteuil townhouse Sebastian pulled up to the front, ignoring the meter maid who was trying to explain to him that he couldn't park there. Instead he focused his attention of Kathryn who looked as if she was about to rip him limb from limb. "What do you mean you won't take me?" she demanded. "Would you rather I go with some other loser who will paw me all night?" 

Pulling his sunglasses off Sebastian rubbed his eyes and sighed in frustration. "Kathryn I told you I don't do school dances. Anyway aren't you worried this will damage your precious reputation? And what about Joshua?" 

"Joshua won't care, I'll just tell him I'm going with a friend" she explained. "As for my reputation...I don't care." 

Sebastian snickered "yes you do. Face it the only reason you want to go with me is because Isabel wanted to but I'm not going with her or anyone else-" 

"Oh yes you are" 

"No I'm not" 

"YES YOU ARE" she ordered. 

"No I'm-" Before he could get the last word out Kathryn grabbed him by the back of the head and kissed him forcefully on the mouth. Her tongue thrust into his mouth as her hand quickly unzipped his pants and latched on to his dick. As she squeezed it she broke away from his mouth and asked seductively, "do you wanna come inside and fuck me?" 

"Yes" he answered breathlessly. 

Yanking her hand away she snarled "then you better agree to take me to that fucking dance or else you'll never get to touch me again." 

With that she got out of the car and slammed the door closed. Sebastian was still trying to catch his breath as he watched her saunter into the house. He considered just driving away but his dick had a mind of it's own. He hated those fucking school functions but he wanted to be with Kathryn and he certainly didn't want anyone else with her. Tossing his head back against the leather seat he let out a frustrated "FUCK!!" before jumping out of the drivers seat and chasing after her. 

Storming into the house he found her standing in the elaborate foyer casually perusing her mail. When he came in she didn't bother to look up at him but asked somewhat disinterestedly, "did you change your mind?" 

Grabbing her around the waist in one quick motion he backed her up against the wall and pressed himself into her. "I'll take you to the damn formal all right?"  


Kathryn's scowl slowly melted into a lazy smile. Running a finger down his lip she purred "I thought you'd see things my way." 

Sebastian pressed her even harder into the wall, partly out of anger and mostly from lust, as he kissed her wildly. Rubbing his knee between her legs Kathryn moaned softly and ordered, "living room."  


She pushed him away and started to strut to the other room but Sebastian came up behind her and slid his arms around her waist, pulling her back to him. Kathryn laughed and tried to walk as he kissed her neck. "Valmont you have to learn some...Mother? Daddy?" she yelled suddenly, pushing him away from her. 

Sebastian looked up to find a woman who looked like an older version of Kathryn and a distinguished looked man in a suit who looked up at them briefly before returning his attention back to the Wallstreet Journal. Kathryn's mother on the other hand moved to greet them. "Hello darling" she smiled placing a kiss on her only child's cheek. 

"Mother what are you doing here?" 

"Well the hotel in Martinique was under renovation and completely inappropriate to stay in. _Quell_ nightmare. So I decided to come home early." When Kathryn's eyes darter to her father for an explanation her mother gave a disinterested wave of her hand and sighed "and your father's meeting got canceled. So darling aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?" 

Sebastian could feel the woman's eyes gaze over his body appreciably and he couldn't repress a smirk when Kathryn glared at her because of it. "Um, mother this is-" 

"Sebastian Valmont" he said using his most irresistible smile. He extended his hand and her mother immediately took it. "It's a pleasure to me you Ms. Merteuil, Kathryn talks about you all the time." 

"Does she? Well call me Tiffani Sebastian." 

"Valmont? Are you Edward's Valmont's son?" Mr. Merteuil asked. 

"Yes I am sir. Do you know my father?" 

Setting his paper down suddenly interested he said "yes as a matter of fact we've met on a few occasions." 

"Tell me Sebastian how do you know our Kathryn?" Tiffani piped in. 

Kathryn shot him a quick glance, desperately pleading with him not to say anything inappropriate. Sebastian was very tempted to say something outrageous but quickly calmed the urge. "Your daughter and I go to Manchester together. I just moved here a few months ago and she's been...showing me around, helping me fit _in_." 

He but an emphasize on that last two words but nobody noticed out side of Kathryn. Tiffani seemed to be eating up everything he said with a spoon. "Well it's very nice to meet you Sebastian, hopefully we'll see you around here more often." 

"Yes well we have to get going" Kathryn said guiding Sebastian out of the room. "We have a ton of homework to get done. I'll see you at dinner mother." 

"It was nice meeting you!" Sebastian called out as Kathryn all but dragged him down the hall. 

As the two left the room in rather a hurry Tiffani put her finger to her lips and mused "Valmont? Where do I know that name from?" 

Sitting back in his chair Victor Merteuil drawled "you fucked his father last June in the Hamptons." 

"Oh yes, that's right" she sighed as she sat back down to finish her martini. As she sipped her drink she thought out loud "he seems like a rather nice young man." 

"Yes nothing like his father" 

****** 

"Oh fucking Christ you're tight!" Sebastian exclaimed as he thrust eagerly between her soft, supple thighs. 

Kathryn simply laughed as she squeezed her muscles tighter around him and raked her nails even harder into his back. Grabbing onto his curly blond hair forced his head down and whispered in his ear, "do it, make me scream." 

Sebastian grabbed her by the wrists and pinned them to the bed. As he leaned over her and continued fucking her his pelvic bone began to rub up against her clit causing her to arch her back and scream out. She wasn't worried about her parents hearing them, partly because they probably wouldn't care and second the music was playing so loudly they couldn't hear anything beyond Liz Phair's voice. 

_Give it to me, don't give it away  
Don't think about what the others say  
My skins getting clear, my hairs so bright  
All you do is fuck me every day and night_

Locking her legs around him Kathryn met his thrust groaning, "ah, ah, just...a little...deeper!" 

In an effort to get even farther into her Sebastian attempted to turn her over but as he tried he slipped the two tumbled off the bed and onto the floor in a messy heap of blankets and tangled limbs. 

_I'm gonna pull you back down between the sheets  
Everything is fresher when the day is sweet  
_

Even though the fall to the ground hurt quite a bit they both laughed hysterically. Pulling himself up Sebastian snickered "are you all right?" 

"I think I broke something" she giggled. "Smooth move Valmont. Are you always this graceful in bed?" 

"Blow me" he scoffed "are you looking for me to tickle you?" 

Sitting up on her elbows Kathryn gave him a flirty grin and replied "depends, what are you going to use?" 

Sebastian laughed "oh you are so going to get it now." Reaching back he grabbed the covers and tossed it over their heads as he moved back between her legs. In between hard thrusts he tickled her naked torso causing Kathryn to moan and occasionally shriek in laughter. 

_It's the fountain of youth  
It's the meaning of life  
So hot, so sweet, so wet my appetite  
  
Gimme your hot white cum  
Gimme your hot white cum  
Gimme your hot-_

__The couple was so wrapped up in one another they hadn't even noticed that the stereo had suddenly shut off. Sebastian continued to fuck her as his mouth latched onto Kathryn's neck. She fell into such a state of bliss she didn't even realize they weren't alone until the sheet that was covering them suddenly got pulled away. Whipping his head around in anger Sebastian demanded "what the fuck? Who the hell are you?" 

Kathryn sat up suddenly when she realized who it was. "Joshua" she breathed hardly believing her eyes. 

Leaning against her desk in a casual stance he smiled down at her, "didn't mean to interrupt Katie." 

She was so shocked at first she couldn't even move. It had been months since the last time she had seen him but nothing had changed, he looked as good as ever. Blinking back her surprise a slow smile spread across Kathryn's face as she pushed Sebastian aside and jumped up into Joshua's arms. "Oh my god, I can't believe you're here!" 

He hugged her to him tightly as he murmured into her ear, "I missed you too luv." Pulling back from her he glanced down at her naked body and smiled. "Still as stunning as ever, though you could stand to gain a few pounds." 

"God I've missed you" she sighed falling back against his body. 

Having watched this scene in disgust Sebastian called out "oh don't mind me I'm just the guy she was fucking." 

Joshua looked down at Sebastian more amused than angry while Kathryn looked at him pointedly. When she didn't make a move to introduce them Sebastian got to his feet and said "I'm Sebastian-" 

"Valmont" Joshua finished for him. "Yes I've heard all about you." 

"Have you? Well I haven't heard a thing about you." 

He meant it sarcastically but Kathryn wasn't sure if Joshua knew it. Turning away from Sebastian, hoping he'd get the hint and make himself scarce, she asked "what are you doing here? I thought school didn't get out for a least a couple of weeks." 

"It doesn't" he explained sliding his fingers through her hair. "But something told me I had to see you right away." 

Joshua looked directly over at Sebastian who simply glared back at him. Eager for things to be less awkward Kathryn turned around to Sebastian, "can you leave now?" 

He cocked his head in obvious surprise that he was being dismissed so easily. Still Kathryn knew Sebastian had too much pride to hang around where he wasn't wanted. "As you wish" he snarled, pulling on his pants. 

After he quickly dressed he started to walk out but then stopped in front of her. Cupping her face he kissed her unexpectedly right in front of Joshua. "I'll call you later" Sebastian told her as he pulled away and marched out of the bedroom. 

Kathryn stared after him rather dumb struck wondering if she really hurt him. She didn't have time to consider it as Joshua handed her a robe and commented, "you never told me you were sleeping with him." 

Wrapping the silky material around her she sighed "we never talk about our other partners in the past. I didn't see the point. Besides it's no big deal, we were just fooling around." When Joshua sat back on the desk and stared her down she demanded "what?" 

"I can tell when you're lying to me Kathryn so I really see no point." Cupping her face tenderly he said "you like him don't you?" 

Flinching at the question she tried to think of a suitable answer that wouldn't let on to how right he was. "Yes I like him but I don't.." Kathryn realized this was the perfect opportunity to confess her love for him but just as before something stopped her. "You're the one I want to be with. Valmont it just a passing amusement. Something to hold me over till you got back." 

Joshua smiled obviously pleased with her answer. Wrapping his arms around her waist he pulled her into a kiss. His mouth moved against hers in that familiar way that caused her knees to tremble and her mind go blank. How could she ever thing there could be a substitute for this? 

Breaking away from her mouth Joshua whispered, "well then now that I'm back I guess you no longer have a need for Valmont do you?" 

"Are you jealous?" she teased. 

He smiled, "jealousy is a weak emotion, you know that Kathryn. No, I just don't want him to hurt you. It's obvious he's still after the tribunal and I don't want him to use you to bring it down. It's probably best if you don't see him anymore." 

Kathryn recoiled from him slightly. "That sounds an awful lot like a demand." 

"No it's just a simple request" Joshua said with his usually sexy smile. "You know I'd never tell you what to do. I'm just saying since I'm going to be around for a little while-" 

"How long?" Kathryn asked excitedly. 

"I'm delaying my classes for a month" he revealed. 

At this news Kathryn threw her arms around his neck and laughed in delight. She couldn't believe that she would have him here for a whole month! Embracing her Joshua laughed, "I take it you're pleased?" 

"Of course! Now everything will be just like before" she sighed into his neck. 

"Good, then you'll give up Sebastian?" 

Kathryn's exuberant smile faded. She really was so happy to have Joshua back but at the same time she couldn't fathom giving up Sebastian. Still she reminded herself that Sebastian wasn't the one she was in love with. In fact their relationship was mostly just sex she told herself and now that Joshua was here she didn't need him for that. 

"I won't see him again" she promised but even as she did so she was filled with anxiety and self doubt. How the hell was she going to avoid Sebastian she wondered. More importantly, did she want to? 

****** 

Sebastian was in school before the first bell rang, a first for him if ever there was one. Now normally he didn't bother to come in until the end of first period if at all. However that morning he arrived at Manchester not with scholastic ambitions but rather romantic one's. Another first for him. 

It was fucking Kathryn, she was completely messing with his head. Over the past weeks they had actually gotten pretty close. Sebastian had barely even touched another woman. Kathryn had seemed adamant about keeping whatever was going on between them a secret but then she all but ordered him to take her to the dance. Sebastian began to believe that perhaps what Annette had said was right. With Joshua away Kathryn would completely forget about him. Then the son of a bitch shows up and Kathryn pushes him aside to jump into Joshua's arms. To top it off she dismisses him in the most humiliating way possible. All of this in over a span of an hour. It was enough to give a guy whiplash. 

At this point Sebastian would just wipe his hands of her and say fuck it. If she wanted Joshua, let her have him but things had changed. He had never been this close to a girl before or hell anyone for that matter. Kathryn pissed him off, turned him on and made him laugh, usually all in the same breath. Sebastian couldn't stand the thought of just giving that up which was why he showed up early that morning to confront her. No more bullshit, he would lay out on the table what he wanted from her. 

Sebastian had been leaning against the wall across from Kathryn's first period class, waiting for her to show up. His attempts to call her the previous night had left him coming up empty so he decided it was best to try to talk to her without the possibility of Joshua showing up. 

Five minutes before the final bell rang Kathryn suddenly appeared, coming down the hallway. Right before she could step into the classroom Sebastian blocked her way. She looked up at him, her green eyes wide in surprise, and demanded "what are you doing?" 

"Since you can't seem to pick up a telephone I decided to corner you here. Woke up early and everything." 

She rolled her eyes as she pushed past him and sighed, "and here I thought there were laws against stalking in New York state." 

Quickly he moved to block the classroom door. "How'd it go with Joshua last night? You two catch up?" 

What he was really asking was if she slept with him and they both knew it. With a cold, almost gloating grin Kathryn revealed "yes we did. It was wonderful. I almost forgot how much I love being with him." 

"That's touching" Sebastian replied in a deadpan voice. "My name wouldn't have happened to come up?" 

"As a matter of fact it didn't. Then again we really didn't do much talking." 

The remark stung so much Sebastian's arm fell down against his side, allowing Kathryn enough room to walk past him. Turning around he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back to him. "Stop acting like this" he demanded "I'm trying to talk to you." 

"Let go of me Valmont" she warned. 

"Do you honestly think you two are going to live happily ever after together? You'll never be happy with him. If you were you wouldn't have kept coming back to me." 

Before he could say more Kathryn's other hand came out and smacked him hard across the face. As he let go of her and reeled back in shock he noticed for the first time that they had an audience. "Don't ever put your hands on me again or else I promise you, you'll regret it, understand?" 

Her voice was so filled with venom and her eyes so cold that Sebastian stepped away from her. Sure he had seen Kathryn act nasty to him in the past but this was different, harsher somehow. Looking up at the startled expressions of his classmates he couldn't be sure if she was putting on an act for the sake of her reputation or if she really meant it. Either way he wasn't about to stick around to find out. "Sorry" he muttered to her as he turned to leave. "Apparently I made a mistake." 

******  


"So what do you want to do after the formal?" Annette asked playfully as she plucked a cheery out of Marcus's fruit dish. 

Smiling affectionately at her he asked "and what makes you think I'm asking you to the formal?" 

"The fact that you'll never see me naked again if you don't" she whispered in his ear. 

Marcus nodded, "that's a damn good reason." 

Annette giggled and she buried her face in his neck and he tangled his fingers in her blond hair. She honestly couldn't recall a time when she had been this happy. She loved Marcus so much and better yet she trusted him. Things between them had been so great lately. She had introduced him to her dad and he seemed to really like Marcus. Also it appeared as if he had given up his vendetta against Kathryn which made him a lot more relaxed. 

Pulling away from his neck she sat back in her seat, trying her best to ignore the noise that surrounded them in the cafeteria. "Okay seriously now, what are we going to do?" 

"Well I was thinking we'd get a room at the hotel. I know it's what everyone else does but I think it could be..." 

"Nice" she finished for him. "Yeah I think you're right. I'm just going to have to think up an excuse to tell my dad. I'm not sure he'd exactly approve of his only daughter spending the night with her boyfriend at some hotel." 

He sighed, "well you could-" 

"Annette?" 

At the sound of her name she looked up to find Joshua standing over her. His usual seductive yet, genuine smile on his face. "Joshua?!" she exclaimed as she got to her feet and embraced him. "Wow, I can't believe it!" 

"Same here" he murmured, his British accent coming through. "If it's possible you look even more beautiful than the last time I saw you." 

Annette blushed at the comment as she pulled away from him. She looked back at Marcus who didn't look pleased that some guy other than himself had his hands all over her. She smiled at him and when Joshua saw her attention elsewhere he greeted his fellow tribunal member. "Marcus, good to see you again." 

"You too" he replied stiffly as he placed a protective hand of Annette's back. 

Sensing their closeness Joshua smiled, "oh yes Kathryn told me you two got together. Well Marcus I must say you have excellent taste in woman." 

"Thank you, I know" 

Annette could tell Joshua's presence, not to mention his flirting, was starting to make Marcus anxious once again, so she tried to make some small talk and keep the attention off of herself. "So Joshua what are you doing here? Don't you still have classes?" 

"Yeah" he said sitting down beside her. "However I decided to take a break for a month. There's some things I had to deal with here." As he said this he gazed over at Marcus for a moment. It was strange but Annette just chalked it up to something having to do with the tribunal. "I just came to pick Kathryn up for lunch" he added. 

"Oh" 

"So how are the college applications going?" Joshua asked, placing a hand over hers. 

Ignoring the gesture she replied "they're going fine, I just have to decide where I want to go first." 

"Well we can always use another blond at Yale." 

Marcus cleared his throat suddenly as he got to his feet. "Excuse me, I'm just going to grab some water." 

Turning away from the pair he stormed over to the vending machine that sold water. He always knew he didn't particularly like Joshua and now he remembered why. The asshole was completely flirting with HIS girlfriend right in front of him. There was only so much Marcus could listen to without wanting to slam the guy up against the wall, so he quickly made up an excuse to leave. 

The ironic thing of course was that this was entirely his fault. He was the reason Joshua was here because he told him he had to get back to the city on account of Kathryn. However when he did this Marcus hadn't even considered Annette's past with him. He just assumed it was long gone but the way Joshua was acting you would think not a day had gone by. "Dammit" Marcus growled as he punched the button marked spring water. 

Just as he was bending down to grab the water bottle someone grabbed him by the arm forcing him upright. Marcus looked up to find a very pissed off Sebastian in front of him. "We need to talk now" he barked yanking him forcefully out of the cafeteria doors and into the vacant hallway. 

Pulling free from his grasp Marcus demanded "what the hell is your problem Valmont?" 

"You're my fucking problem" he growled as he pushed him up against the opposite wall. "I know what you did?" 

"Come again?" 

"You know at first I thought it was a little odd that Joshua decided to come home right in the middle of a semester, just as things started to develop between Kathryn and I. Then as I got to thinking about it I realized it probably wasn't a coincidence. In fact if I had to guess I'm betting some asshole decided to go shoot his mouth off about us as a way of getting revenge. You know something tells me Marcus you are that asshole." 

"Get off of me" Marcus snarled at him. 

"Not until you tell me what the fuck is going on." 

Pushing Sebastian away forcefully Marcus yelled "okay, you're right I did it. I called Joshua and told him to come home." 

"Why?" he demanded. "What the hell did I ever do to you? Is this because of what happened with Annette?" 

Shaking his head he said "man, this never had anything to do with you! It was all about her! I wanted to get back at Kathryn for trying to break up Annette and me by damaging her relationship with Joshua. I thought when he found out about the two of you he would break things off with her." 

"Well you thought wrong!" Sebastian banged his head against the wall and laughed "in fact if anything you did her a favor. Now she has Joshua and an excuse to end things with me." 

Leaning back against the opposite wall Marcus sighed. "Look I'm sorry okay? I never wanted you to get hurt by any of this but I mean, I did warn you about her. I told you Kathryn's heart belongs to Marcus. You would never be more than a fuck buddy to her." 

"And I thought that was all I wanted" he sighed. "How the fuck did that change?" 

"You fell for her" Marcus offered. 

Glaring at him coldly Sebastian stood up and looked back into the cafeteria. "Well it appears I'm not the only one you screwed over with your revenge." 

Marcus turned around and looked back to see Annette and Joshua once again embracing. "Kathryn would love this you know" Sebastian murmured in his ear. "You try to hurt her only you and I end up being the one's who pay for it. If I were you I'd keep a close eye on the two of them." 

Without another word Sebastian walked back down the hallway as Marcus turned around and punched the wall. It hurt but at the moment he wasn't feeling the pain, just his anger at himself. He never should have brought Joshua back, he should have left him in the past where he belonged. Far away from his girlfriend. 

Walking back into the cafeteria Marcus approached Annette to find her alone. "Where's your boyfriend?" he asked sounding unnaturally sarcastic. 

"Ha, ha" Annette smiled. "You have no reason to be jealous" she assured him. "Joshua and I are long over." 

"Is he aware of that?" 

She shrugged "who cares? I don't love Joshua, in fact I never have. You are the only guy I've ever loved. Trust that Marcus." 

Feeling himself calm down at least a little bit he reached for her hand and brought it to his mouth. Kissing it delicately he whispered "I do." 

Reaching out to him she caressed his face and asked "so what did Sebastian want? I saw him pull you out into the hall." 

Marcus let out a sigh as he tried to decide weather to tell her the truth or not. In the end he realized lying would only cause more trouble. "I fucked up" he admitted. 

"What do you mean?" 

"You know that stuff Joshua had to take care of? Well what he was talking about was Kathryn and Sebastian. I called him up a couple of weeks ago and told him they were getting really close." 

Annette sighed as she leaned back in her seat. "You wanted to get back at Kathryn for what she did to me. That's why you've seemed so relaxed these past few weeks." 

"Yeah" he replied. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you but I knew you wouldn't like it." 

"I don't" she said. "Not because I'm against your motivations but because the only person you've hurt by doing this is Sebastian and he doesn't deserve it. He really likes Kathryn, more than I think even he's aware of." 

"Well maybe things will work out" 

Looking away Annette murmured "oh I wouldn't count on it. Not where Kathryn's concerned." 

******  


"Damn that feels good" Kathryn purred as Joshua's tongue danced against her exposed skin. Reaching up his hands caressed her bare tits as his mouth continued to plant soft kisses on her stomach. His delicate touch was sending soft waves of pleasure coursing through her entire body. God how she had missed his touch. 

A few nights after Joshua returned Kathryn laid in bed beside him, just enjoying being intimate with him. It seemed so long since they'd been like this together. Another lifetime even. She enjoyed it and loved being with him but at the same time she couldn't seem to let herself relax. 

Pulling away from her stomach Joshua looked up, concern covering his face. "Are you okay Katie?" 

"Yeah of course" she replied softly. 

"You seem tense" 

Kathryn didn't reply but rather guided his mouth back to her stomach. As he resumed moving down her body he asked "so what shall we name our first child?" 

"What?!" she laughed. 

"Well when we get married it's customary to have children" he answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. 

Kathryn shook her head and laughed at this. He was always catching her off guard with those type of questions. In the past when ever she was mad at him he would bring up marrying her. It always made her laugh but that night it just made her feel even more tense. Still she tried to hide it by playing along as she always did. "What makes you think I'll marry you?" 

"Who else would have you?" he teased. "Now I was thinking if it's a boy how about Michael?" 

"What about Joshua?" 

"No" he replied shaking his head as if this was serious business. "I think naming a kid after yourself is too pretentious." 

Kathryn smirked, "I agree. Well what if it's a girl." 

Moving back up her body until his mouth hovered right below hers he whispered "I've always been fond of Katie." 

"I thought that was being to pretentious?" 

"Not if the name is after a beautiful woman" he winked at her. 

"You have a point though I should warn you I don't plan on having any children till I'm at least thirty. There's no way I'm ruining my figure when I'm still young." 

"Deal" he laughed as he bent down and captured her mouth in a kiss. 

They rolled around in her big bed together until Kathryn was on top. She let his erection rub up against her covered sex until they couldn't take it anymore. Finally starting to relax Kathryn was about to guide him back into her body when her cell phone suddenly went off. "Fuck" she grumbled breaking away from him. 

"You answer it" he advised. "I have to use the bathroom anyway." 

As Joshua got up and disappeared into the bathroom Kathryn reached over and grabbed her cell phone. "Hello?" 

"I'm not interrupting anything am I?" 

At the sound of Sebastian's voice Kathryn's body immediately went tense again. Looking back at the closed bathroom door she told him "as a matter of fact you are." 

She was about to hang up on him when he said "I need to talk to you right now, it can't wait." 

"Well too bad" she hissed quietly into the phone. "Joshua's here and you can't come over." 

"Go to your window" 

"What? No" 

Sebastian sighed irritated "just do it." 

Rolling her eyes Kathryn climbed out of bed and walked over to the window. Pushing the curtains aside she peered out and spotted Sebastian's jag parked down the street. "Jesus, what are you doing?" 

"I told you I need to speak to you" 

"Well there's no fucking way I'm coming down to talk to you." 

"Fine I'll make this simple for you. Either you come down or I come up, what's it going to be princess." 

Knowing Sebastian well enough that he would certainly not hesitate making a scene, even at this late of hour Kathryn replied "fine I'll come down but only for a minute." 

She hung up the phone without another word and then stealthily slipped her long white nightgown on again. "Joshua" she called out. "That was my mother, she ran out of Valium again. I'm just going to run some over to her. I'll be back in a minute." 

"Okay, I'm just going to take a shower" he called back through the door. 

Nodding she slipped out of bedroom hating herself for having to lie to him once again. But then she did promise to stay away from Sebastian and if he came up here he would know she hadn't kept that promise. It was time to break things off with Sebastian for good. When she finally did maybe her anxiety would finally go away. 

Stepping out into the cool night air, Kathryn rubbed her bare arms and she quickly crossed the street to Sebastian who was leaning against his car. His cool blue eyes ran over her body as he commented dryly, "apparently I did catch you at a bad time." 

"You can't keep doing this Sebastian" she warned. 

Puffing on his cigarette he noted "you're cold." 

Kathryn scoffed "I think you can take it." 

"No I meant you look cold" he told her reaching out to wrap his arms around her. "Come here" 

She gave into his embrace for only a moment before pushing him away. "Stop it, we're not doing this anymore. I'm with Joshua." 

Backing away from her he grumbled "and here I thought you two had an open relationship." 

Kathryn looked up at him and explained "not where you are concerned." 

"What does that mean?" 

"It means..." she trailed off looking away from him. "It means it wasn't just sex between the two of us, it was more. I know it, you know it and Joshua sure as hell knows it." 

Sebastian who was looking at her with more emotion than she ever thought possible on his face whispered "I'd tend to agree." 

"It doesn't matter though" Kathryn went on. "I promised Joshua I wouldn't see you anymore so from here on no more secret meetings, no more phone calls and no more cornering me at school. It's done with Sebastian." 

Turning around she started to cross the street but Sebastian pulled her back to him. "Just like that? Is this what you want?" 

"What I want?" she repeated pulling out of his grip. "What I want is to not feel like this anymore!" 

"Like what?!" 

"Like I'm betraying you somehow by being with him! I love Joshua Sebastian and what you and I had, whatever it was is over with! I can't be near you anymore." 

Kathryn tried to leave but once again he pulled her back. Breathing heavily, almost desperately he whispered in her ear "you think of me when you're with him don't you?" 

"No" she said shaking her head. 

"Yes" he said almost pleadingly. "Stay with me Kathryn." 

She struggled against his grip, trying to leave but at the same time wanting to stay with him. "Stop it, let me go, please." 

"You're just doing this because he told you to" 

Breaking away from him Kathryn turned around to face him and said "no I'm not. I can't be around you anymore because..." 

"Because what?" Sebastian demanded. 

"Because it's too painful!" she revealed surprising even herself at the outburst. "It hurts to be around you and not be able to touch you or...god I have to go." 

"No Kathryn" he tried to pull her back to him but this time she moved away out of his reach. She crossed the street but before she went inside she looked back at him one last time. "Good bye Sebastian" she whispered. Kathryn for once didn't relish the pain she was causing him, in fact it just made her feel worse. Stepping into the foyer she collapsed against the wall, her heart beating wildly. Her anxiety hadn't gone away, it just became so much worse. 

- to be continued (Please Review) 


	9. Walking On Broken Glass

**The Tribunal**

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**Summary: The Manchester formal proves to be a potential disaster in the making for Kathryn and Sebastian.**

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**Authors Note: Hey I meant to update this earlier but I spent the weekend in Manhattan. I'll try to update sooner next time. Anyway thanks for all the nice reviews! By the way meteorgarden yes school has started up again which is why I haven't had time to update as much as I liked. I too am busy, busy, busy and the trick now is making it through _college_ with all the pressure. Doesn't really give you anything to look forward to does it? Don't worry you'll be fine. If I can do it anyone can.**

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**Oh yeah, trip on love with hopefully be updated tomm. If not later in the week.**

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**Chapter 9: Walking On Broken Glass**

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****Sebastian felt as if he was being smothered. Currently engulfed in a mass of red curls that smelled of lavender, he tried to ignore breath. However the lovely girl astride him with the flaming red hair would not be ignored and continued to suffocate him with her hair as she nibbled on his neck. At last Sebastian could no longer see his journal and that just wouldn't do. 

"Get off" he ordered pushing her from his lap. "Can't you see I'm trying to do something Annie?" 

A look of hurt crossed over her pretty face as she corrected him, "it's Audrey." 

Actually he was aware of this but he was hoping that perhaps by calling her by the wrong name she would get the hint and leave. However she apparently didn't get offended easily because she continued to sit beside Sebastian and gaze up at him adoringly. "What are you doing?" 

Keeping his eyes on the leather bound book he grumbled "writing." 

"Obviously" she sighed "I mean what are writing. It's probably not for school since that's too nice a book to use for school notes so what-" 

Leaning forward Sebastian silenced her by placing a finger over her pert lips. Why out of all the girls at Manchester did he end up in bed with Audrey Wells? She was abrasive, dim, and her naiveté was anything but refreshing. However he she was also pretty and better yet easy so he didn't have to put any effort into getting her in bed which was just what he was looking for. He was done with challenges and complicated girls. 

Pulling away from her he explained "it's a journal." 

Sebastian had no interest in elaborating beyond that but Audrey didn't give up. "A journal? That is SO sweet" she cooed. Clutching his arm excitedly she asked "am I in it?" 

Trying to tune her out Sebastian continued writing acting as if she wasn't there. This only proved to excite Audrey even more. When he didn't give her an answer to her question she reached over and snatched the journal from his hands. "Hey! Give me that!" he barked trying to grab it away but it was too late. 

Audrey's playful expression fell when she realized that he was most definitely not writing about her. "Kathryn Merteuil?" she spat "Why are you writing about her?" 

"It's none of your concern" he sneered grabbing the book from her hands. Turning away from her he focused his attention back on the crisp vanilla pages and the picture of Kathryn he had pasted to it. It was one he had taken a few days before Joshua had arrived. She was sitting on his bed, half dressed, smoking a cigarette with her typical aloof expression on her face. She had looked so beautiful to him then, he wanted to take her picture. His little ice princess, that's what he called her. Kathryn had just smiled at that before pulling him back into bed with her. 

Sebastian smiled at the memory until Audrey intruded on his thoughts asking, "is she the girl you've been seeing these past weeks?" 

"What are you talking about?" 

Scooting closer to him she said "there's a rumor going on that you've been seeing someone...exclusivly. Some people said it was Kathryn but I didn't believe it. It's true though isn't it? You like her..." 

"Think what you'd like" he sighed going back to his writing. 

Audrey scowled at him, "she has a boyfriend you know? And they've been together for like, ever." 

"Yeah I'm aware" 

"Then why not move on to someone else? You know the formal is tonight..." 

"No" he replied simply. 

"Oh come on why not?" 

Because if I go I'll run into her there and I can't deal with that, Sebastian thought to himself glumly. He never believed the day would come when his social schedule would be dictated around a chick but it had. Ever since that night in the street, he had been going out of his way to avoid Kathryn. He dropped the class they were in together, made it a point to skip lunch and didn't frequent any of the clubs she liked to go to. If by chance they passed each other in the hall Sebastian would make it a point to look the other way or appear indifferent. 

For her part Kathryn seemed to be avoiding him too, except for one instance. He was talking up some girl who's name escaped him, when she came strutting down the hall. She stopped in her tracks when she saw them together. For the briefest of moments their eyes met and Sebastian wondered if perhaps it was jealousy he saw in her eyes. He couldn't be sure but it didn't matter because she never said anything to him. Kathryn just turned and walked away, just as she had the last time they spoke. Now that's how it was, like they didn't know each other, like they _never_ knew each other. 

Only they had known each other and that's what made this so difficult. Try as he might Sebastian couldn't seem to let her go. No matter how many girls he fucked, at the end of the night it was always her he ended up writing about. Kathryn was just this inescapable force that he couldn't seem to get away from. You always want what you can't have and he wanted her badly. Only Kathryn loved Joshua and he had too much pride to try and convince her other wise. So he would continue to deny himself what he wanted and instead try to be comforted by second or even third best. 

"Sebastian?" Audrey's shrill voice once again broke through his thoughts. "Sebastian are you listening to me?" 

"What!?" he snarled back at her. 

Before she could repeat what she had been going on about the phone rang. Happy for the excuse to escape his bed mate, Sebastian got up and answered the phone. "Yes?" 

"The proper greeting when answering a phone is hello Valmont. Hasn't anyone ever taught you some manners?" chided the unfamiliar voice on the other end of the receiver. 

"No they haven't, who is this?" 

"Don't you remember me?" purred the voice. "And here I was believing I gave you the hand job of the millennium, silly me." 

Sebastian wanted to inform his caller that a hand job isn't exactly something that merits grading. It shouldn't even be called a job since all it involves is a tight grasp and a few flicks of the wrist. However he wasn't about to get into that now. Still having no idea who his female caller was he once again asked, "who is this?" 

There was a slightly annoyed sigh on the other end before she explained, "it's Isabel Kennedy."  


"Oh right" he sighed dimly recalling their fifteen minutes spent in the gym equipment closet a month ago. "What do you want?" 

"You don't sound like your usually charming self this afternoon. Is something wrong?" 

Sebastian briefly looked over as Audrey who was busy studying her spilt ends and rolled his eyes. "Actually I have company and we're sort of in the middle of something."  


"Company" she repeated. "I take it your referring to Audrey. Actually I'm rather surprised you let her stick around this long." 

He was rather surprised that she knew who he was with but didn't let on. "Why do you assume I'm with her?" 

Isabel let out a soft chuckle, "please Manchester isn't that big a school. Besides you haven't exactly been discreet with your conquests lately." 

"What do you want?" he snapped irritated. "I take it this isn't a social call." 

"As a matter of fact it is." There was a long pause on the other end as she seemed to be working herself up to tell him something. When she finally did it came out more of a command than a request. "I want you to take me to the formal tonight." 

For the first time since picking up the phone Sebastian allowed himself a chuckle. "Jesus I hope that's not the only reason you called because if it is, good-" 

"Wait" she said suddenly. Isabel's voice softened as she asked more politely "look I know you're not into school events but can you please take me? Come on Sebastian if you go with me I'm sure I'll make it worth your while. I already rented one of the best suites and we'll only have to stay at the dance a few hours, tops." 

He sighed putting a cigarette to his mouth and lighting it. "As tempting as that sounds I think I'll past. No offense Isabel but I don't have to get dressed up and put myself through hours of torture just to get laid." 

"Kathryn will be there with Joshua" she said suddenly, her voice tinged with nastiness. "You were going to take her to the formal weren't you?" 

Sebastian inhaled deeply on his bud and muttered "what of it?" 

"It must have been rather humiliating when she dropped you so quickly for him. If it were me I'd be itching for a little pay back. Go to the dance with me on your arm and show that bitch that you at least still have your pride. You know it would completely knock little-miss-high-and mighty off her pedestal so why not?" 

As idiotic as it sounded Isabel was making a strange sort of sense. Sebastian knew the only reason Kathryn had been so adamant for him to take her to the formal in the first place was because she couldn't stand the idea of him going with Isabel. If he showed up with her it would completely floor Kathryn. Then again she might not give a shit anymore now that she has Joshua back. Either way it had to be better than staying in bed with Audrey or by himself feeling miserable about Kathryn. 

With a defeated sigh he told Isabel "all right, I'll go. I'll pick you up at eight." 

"Yes! Thank you Sebastian, I promise you won't be disappointed. Oh, but the formal starts as seven." 

"I'll pick you up at eight" he repeated before hanging up, not bothering to say good-bye. 

Turning back to Audrey who was staring at him curiously Sebastian told her with false cheer, "good news, I'm going to the formal after all." 

Audrey's whole face lit up and she bounced slightly on the bed as she gushed, "oh my god! Really? This is going to be so amazing and I have the best dress picked out!" 

"Great!" Sebastian smiled back as he headed into his bathroom. He started to close the door than waited a beat, anxious to savor the moment. After a few seconds he poked his head out the door and told her, "but I'm not taking you." 

Her pretty face fell as she gaped at him, "what?" 

"Would you be a dear and leave? I have to get ready." 

****** 

"Joshua stop it" Kathryn giggled as her boyfriend nuzzled her neck playfully. Pushing him away to the other side of the limo she explained "we're going to be there any minute and I can't arrive looking like I have just been ravaged by a pack of wolves." 

Slumping back against the seat Joshua let out a annoyed sigh but gave her a small smile to show he wasn't really angry. "Sorry love, but you make it hard for a guy to contain himself. You look amazing tonight." 

Kathryn smiled as she examined her reflection in the mirror. She tended to agree with him on that assessment. With her dark hair swept up and the plunging neckline of her black silk dress she knew she looked stunning. Then again after all the money and time she put into getting ready this evening, she better look sensational. 

Closing her compact with a snap she turned to Joshua and said "thanks for going with me tonight. Now that you're done with Manchester I know your not exactly looking forward to attending a high school function. I certainly wouldn't be if it was the other way around." 

"Of course I'd take you" he sighed reaching over. "How else would you fight off all those annoying admirers?" Joshua's face grew dark suddenly as he looked away then back to her and asked "have you spoken with our friend Valmont lately?" 

Kathryn's good mood ended with that question. "No I haven't" she told him returning her gaze to the window. For once she spoke the truth, she hadn't talked with Sebastian since that night he called her outside. When she promised Joshua that she would break all contact with him she expected it to be a challenge and even after she ordered Valmont to stay away from her she was still sure he wouldn't obey. Kathryn expected him to pull every stunt in the book to get rid of Joshua and pursued her back to her bed only it didn't work out that way. Instead Sebastian was ignoring her and humping every bimbo in sight. 

The thought caused Kathryn to grip the arm rest on the car door tightly. She did hate the idea of him with other girls, even if it was just meaningless sex. However some day that all might change. One day it wouldn't be just meaningless fucking and then she would truly loose Sebastian for good, that's what scared her. Worse yet she knew she couldn't do anything about it because after all he didn't belong to her. She had no claim on him and as long as she was with Joshua she never would. 

"You don't...miss him do you?" 

She turned back to face Joshua who was now studying her with great curiosity. They had rarely if ever discussed Sebastian since he returned and Joshua had never pressed Kathryn for her feelings about him which was why the question threw her. She hesitated answering him and when she finally did she found it quite easy to lie. "No of course not" she replied. 

Joshua raised an eyebrow at this, "you hesitated. I believe perhaps you fancy him more than you'd like to admit." 

"Jesus Joshua" she sighed "don't start. If I wanted him I'd be with him but I don't. I want to be with you." 

Finally his suspicion began to melt away into a relaxed smile. "I'm sorry Katie" he murmured caressing her hair. "I didn't mean to accuse you of anything. I know you're over him." 

"I am" she assured him pressing her face against his jacket in an effort to avoid his eyes. "I don't want to discuss him anymore, okay?" 

"I understand" Joshua kissed the top of her head and then pulled her back to meet his eyes. "Hey I have a surprise for you." 

Looking up at him expectedly Kathryn asked "what is it?" 

"Well I can't tell you, not until the end of the formal."  


"Oh come on" she pleaded. Reaching over she teasing rubbed his crotch and purred "tell me now and I'll reward you." 

Joshua grinned and shook his head "no, sorry you're just going to have to be patient but I will give you a hint. Think back to the last formal we attended together. I want to recreate something special we did that night."  


Kathryn was completely stumped by this namely because she could barely recall any of last years formal. Half way through the dance Joshua and her had gone up to their suite and got wasted. The rest of the night was a complete blank but she didn't tell him that. Instead she smiled and purred "I can't wait." 

Joshua reached over to kiss her again but the limo suddenly jolted to a stop. Pulling away Kathryn looked out the window and saw that they had at last arrived at the Carlton where the formal was to take place. "We're here" she announced before stepping out side with her date following soon after. 

They entered into the large ballroom of the hotel arm in arm. As they did several heads turned their way with looks of envy apparent on several people's faces. Kathryn knew this but of course didn't acknowledge it. Holding her head up in a show of indifference she strode over towards a table filled with tribunal members. Marcus who had been talking with someone broke away and approached them. "Well, well it appears the king and queen have arrived" he drawled with a smirk. 

Kathryn returned it as she gave his a quick peck on the cheek. "I take it nothing interesting has happened so far" 

"This is a Manchester party, I wouldn't get your hopes up" he snickered. "Hello Joshua, I'm surprised our leader here was able to convince you to come tonight." 

Turning towards his girlfriend Joshua pushed a strand of her dark hair off her face and murmured "well she can be quite persuasive." 

"I know" 

"So where's Annette this evening? I take it you two came together" Joshua said casually. 

Kathryn was more than a little annoyed that he was inquiring about his ex girlfriend and judging by the look that crossed over Marcus's features he felt the same way. Forcing a smile he replied "she's off talking with some friends." 

He gestured behind them towards Annette who was across the room talking with some of the members from student council. Dressed in a strapless pale blue dress, with her hair carefully pinned up she actually looked quite lovely much to Kathryn's great annoyance. Glancing over at Joshua she noticed him take in her appearance longer than was necessary. Looking back at Marcus the two of them shared a quick glance before looking away. Undoubtedly they were sharing the same thought. 

"Annette looks nice" Kathryn remarked hoping to wake Joshua from his stare. It worked as both him and Marcus stared at her in surprise. "What? I can be nice if I want to. It's just a lot more fun to be a bitch." 

Both boys laughed at her and Kathryn joined them feeling herself at last relax. Then as they started discussing school she overheard something that once again made her begin to feel as if she was loosing control. Two cheerleaders, both of whom Kathryn recognized as friends of Isabel's walked by snickering "I heard she was suppose to go with Valmont then she kicked him aside when Josh came back. Such a bitch" 

"Well I wouldn't mind helping Sebastian get over her" laughed the other girl as they passed by. 

Neither Joshua or Marcus seemed to have overheard this but Kathryn did and she began to start thinking of things she knew she shouldn't. "Um, I have to go to the ladies room" she interrupted their conversation. "I'll be right back." 

Without waiting for a reply Kathryn moved through the crowd and back towards the bathrooms. Stepping inside she found it empty save for the attendant handing out towels. She wasn't really worried about her but she didn't want to risk someone else like a student or worse yet a faculty members walking in on her so she slipped inside a stall. Opening up her small clutch Kathryn pulled out the small clear vile of coke and the tiny spoon that went along with it. Quickly she took a bump and waited until that familiar feeling buzzed through her. 

She knew she was weak, having to rely of some stimulant in order to desensitize herself from her problems. Kathryn hated reducing herself to this, for being so needy but she didn't feel as if she had any other option. She hated not feeling in control and the cocaine made her feel like she was. 

After taking another bump she put it back in her bag and then rested her forehead against the bathroom stall. She stood there only a moment before she heard someone come in. Not wanting to hide in the stall for fear someone might notice and then begin spreading god knows what rumors about her Kathryn wiped her nose and then walked back out. When she did she found Annette standing before the mirror reapplying her lip gloss. "Oh it's you" Kathryn grumbled. 

"Good evening Kathryn" Annette greeted her obviously trying to be pleasant. "You look really great, I like your dress." 

"Gee thanks" she replied with sharp sarcasm. "Nice dress, I didn't know Wallmart made formal wear." 

The blond rolled her eyes and let out a sigh, "why do I even bother?" 

"Search me" 

After placing her lipstick back in her purse Annette turned to her and asked, "so are the rumors true? Were you suppose to go with Sebastian to the formal?"  


Kathryn winced at the sound of his name but quickly recovered. Facing her enemy with full venom she hissed "how's that any of your business." 

Annette shook her head, "it's not." She walked past Kathryn and started to leave but then stopped. Turning back she said "actually as a matter of fact it is. I care about Sebastian and I don't want to see him get hurt, especially by you." 

Studying her reflection in the mirror Kathryn snickered "I wouldn't go sharing that with Marcus if I were you." 

"Jesus Christ are you even just a little bit human? Do you have a soul? Sebastian really likes you Kathryn, for reasons that I'm sure only he knows. He was willing to toss his reputation aside for you and you act as if you don't even care!" 

Looking down at her hands which were now shaking slightly as a result of the coke she demanded quietly "did he tell you that?" 

"He doesn't need to" Annette replied. "Just take a look at him this past week. It's written all over his face. You really hurt him Kathryn." 

She shook her head trying to regain her bearings. Little Dorothy didn't know what she was talking about Kathryn told herself. She was just trying to make her feel bad because odds were she still had a thing for Joshua. "Not that it's any of your business, but there was never anything serious between Sebastian and I. He knew it and I knew it. I'm with Joshua and I would never leave him. Now do yourself a favor and keep out of my business from now on, got it?" 

"Consider it done" Annette agreed turning on her heels to leave. When she was once again alone Kathryn regrouped trying to forget what Annette had told her. Had Sebastian really cared about her? Probably. The truth was she cared about him, more so than any other guy outside of Joshua. Their relationship had been special to her but she would never admit that to another living soul. She would take it to the grave. 

Walking back to the ballroom Kathryn noticed Annette standing in the doorway studying something curiously. Slowing down she stopped to see what it was. When at last she saw what all the fuss was about her heart fell. In the center of the dance floor was Sebastian and Isabel dancing close together to some moronic sappy song. As Kathryn gapped at them Annette turned to her and remarked "perhaps I was wrong. Maybe he wasn't as stuck on you as I thought." 

****** 

Sebastian was bored out of his mind but he looked happy and that was all that mattered. Holding his arms around Isabel he pretended to be interested in whatever the hell it was she was babbling about. Actually he made no attempt to convince her he was interested, no in fact on the way to the formal he had made his intentions clear from the get go. "This is strictly business tonight. You'd be wise not to think anything will come of it." 

Isabel had looked hurt at this but she tried to cover with her sexual bravado. "So will you be escorting me up to my suite at the end of the night?" 

"Depends how bored I get" 

Indeed he was getting there. Leaving this dreadful scene for a quick fuck was appearing like a good idea, even if it was with Isabel. The only good thing to come from this evening so far was that fact that Kathryn hadn't taken her eyes off of them all night. Sebastian had noticed her early on, staring at them from across the room as they danced, barely hiding her anger. Of course he pretended not to notice and only glanced briefly in her direction when she was looking away. 

Kathryn was the best looking girl there that evening, as usual. Sebastian was surprised at how angry this made him. Seeing her just made him want her more which in turn only fueled his hatred towards her. Yes he had decided that he hated her. It felt so much better than wanting her. 

When Joshua at last left her side Kathryn resumed watching them. Knowing he had her full attention Sebastian decided to see how far he could push things. Staring down at Isabel with a fake smile he murmured "shut up." 

She looked up at him slightly startled but before she could inquire why, he bent forward and kissed her. Isabel might have been aware of what he was doing but even if she wasn't she seemed to eagerly go along with the kiss. Standing still they made out in view of everyone, especially Kathryn. When they broke apart Sebastian didn't dare look over at her to see if she was paying attention. He already knew she was. 

"I need some air" he informed Isabel with a cold smile before walking away from her. Sebastian didn't leave the formal but rather went over to the refreshment table confident that his date would know better than to follow him over. 

He was sipping the horrible fruit punch merrily as someone approached him from behind. "So I guess this is what they mean by the expression, scraping the bottom of the barrel." 

Sebastian nearly smiled at the sound of her voice. It had been so long since he heard it, well at least directed at him. Still he hid his sudden happiness with a cool sneer as he at last faced her. "Actually I believe I already hit that particular low when I fucked you." 

If the comment wounded her she didn't show it. Instead she hissed "I thought you didn't go to school events?" 

"I thought you weren't suppose to talk to me?" 

Sebastian walked back over to the refreshments knowing Kathryn would follow. As he went to refill his cup she was soon beside him, standing so close he could smell her soft perfume. "Isabel Kennedy?" she whispered. "What the hell are you doing with her?" 

He shrugged pretending to only be half interested in what she was saying. "She asked me to go with her and I agreed. It's a small price to pay for getting to screw the hottest girl in school." 

Kathryn grabbed him by the arm suddenly and forced him to look at her. Sebastian's eyes glanced down at her hand gripping his jacket and their eyes met briefly before she pulled away. "You're just doing this to get back at me. You know I can't stand her." 

"Yes you do hate her don't you?" he asked with a grin. 

The anger leaving her eyes for a moment Kathryn looked away from him and muttered "why are you doing this to me? Why are you making it so hard?" 

"Me?!" he nearly shouted. "None of this is my fault, don't you dare play the injured victim here, _Katie_. You're the one who dropp kicked me in favor of that prick you call a boyfriend. The only person you have to blame for this is yourself." 

"I love him Sebastian" 

Grabbing her from around the shoulders he forced her to turn around in the direction of Joshua who was currently talking up Annette. "Look at him Kathryn" he hissed in her ear. "That's who you're in love with. A guy who hasn't been able to take his eyes off of another girl all night. Tell me does he ever look at you like that?" 

"Stop it!" she ordered pulling away from him. "I love Joshua, no amount of your stupid mind games is going to change that." 

"Yes but the question is does he love you?" When she didn't give him an answer Sebastian's eyes went wide, "he doesn't does he?"  


"Shut up" she snarled. "He does to love me he just hasn't..." 

"Told you yet" he finished for her with a cruel laugh. 

Just then Joshua suddenly appeared beside them, staring at them curiously. "Did I miss something? What's so funny?" 

Curbing his laughter Sebastian replied "oh nothing. Your girlfriend just told me the most amusing little joke." 

"What's that?" 

Kathryn's eyes narrowed at Sebastian in anger briefly before she turned away from him and wrapped her arms around Joshua. "Never mind that" she murmured. "I've had enough of this stupid party for one night. What do you say we go upstairs and you give me that surprise you've been promising me all night." 

Sebastian's grin turned to a frown as he watched Kathryn ignore him in favor of petting her boyfriend. Joshua too seemed to have forgotten Sebastian was there as well, kissed her briefly and replied "in a few minutes luv. We should probably wait until the formal is at least half way over." 

When the two of them began kissing Sebastian could no longer stomach it so he strolled passed them and left the party in need of a little nicotine. Standing outside the hotel he lit up a cigarette and thought about what Kathryn just told him. She claimed to love Joshua which just might be true but he had yet to tell her he loved her back. They weren't as close then as they seemed which Sebastian believed was a good thing. Then again he was in no way going to try and get her back just to yet again come in second place to Joshua. 

The doors behind him opened and Sebastian heard someone approach him. There was a flick of a lighter and then the sound of someone inhaling. "You know every time I turn around there you are." Sebastian looked over his shoulder at Joshua leaning against the building. "And always with my girlfriend. Grabbing her, touching her-" 

"Fucking her" Sebastian finished for him with a sneer. 

Joshua just nodded as he drew his cigarette up to his mouth. After a moment he walked up to Sebastian and told him "I don't like it and I know she doesn't like it. Do yourself a favor and stay the hell away from her from now on." 

Not backing down an inch he snorted "funny that sounds an awful lot like an order. I think you might have me confused with the flock of sheep you call friends. I don't take orders from you so I think I'll just talk or do whatever else I want to with Kathryn." 

"Don't you get it? She isn't interested" 

"No you don't get it" Sebastian yelled back angry. "You don't have a fucking clue of how amazing she is. How lucky you are to have her. No you're too busy chasing after some chick you can never have!" 

Joshua stepped closer to him and whispered menacingly "watch it." 

He snickered "what really bothers you about me Kennsington? The fact that it was my bed Kathryn was sleeping in while you were gone or perhaps it because I'm the one who nailed your precious Annette first." 

With sudden anger Joshua grabbed him from his coat and slammed him up against the building. "Don't you ever talk about her like that you piece of shit!" 

His head hurt from being hit against the stone building but Sebastian wasn't about to back down, not for this asshole. "I thought so" he spat. "It kills you that I'm the one she gave it up to and Marcus is the one she fell in love with. What's left for you Josh, huh? Her friendship?" 

Sebastian was laughing now and Joshua looked as if he was about to hit him when the door of the hotel swung open and an older couple stepped out. He pushed Sebastian away then and told him when the old couple passed, "you know what Kathryn told me earlier when I asked if she cared for you? She laughed and said of course not. If she wanted you she would have staid with you she told me." 

Looking away from him Sebastian pretended not to be phased by this news but of course he was. It just reinforced the notion that he was completely pathetic for being out here in the cold fighting for some girl with this asshole when she didn't give a damn about him one way or the other. 

Tossing his cigarette aside Joshua grumbled "stay away from her." 

"Which one?" 

"Both of them" he replied as he disappeared back into the hotel. 

Falling back against the building Sebastian muttered "no problem." 

****** 

"Okay so where's my surprise?" 

Kathryn rolled onto her back and Joshua moved over her obviously amused at her impatience. They had been fooling around for a little while in the best suite of the Carlton. However the whole time Kathryn's mind was on surprise that Joshua had yet to offer up. "You haven't guessed what it is yet?" he inquired playfully. 

"No" she sighed "and truth be told I don't remember much about last years formal. I'm rather surprised you do." 

"Of course I do" he whispered kissing her neck "it was quite memorable." 

"Well I recall the cocaine" she snickered. 

Joshua moved off of her suddenly and walked over to the dresser where his over night bag sat. "That reminds me" he called over to her. After shuffling around the suitcase a moment he pulled out a baggie filled with coke. "Look what I picked up." 

Kathryn wasn't exactly impressed, more confused. They had done coke together of course, but not that often. Usually only on a special occasion or sometimes as an added stimulant during sex. Sitting up on her elbows she asked "is this my surprise?" 

"No" he laughed "but I thought we could enjoy a little until it arrives." 

"Arrives?" 

Joshua didn't elaborate and instead walked over to the other side of the bed. Emptying out a little of the powder onto the bed side table he proceeded to separate it into small lines using the plastic key to the hotel door. He did one of the lines and then held his nose laughing, "it's good. Try some." 

Kathryn hesitated only a moment as she thought of the earlier bumps of coke she done in the bathroom. Deciding she'd only indulge in a little more she moved over to the table and inhaled quickly. It burned more than the other coke had but she ignored it. 

Someone was then knocking on the door and Joshua got up with a slight grin on his face. Kathryn bent down to do another line when she heard a female voice murmur, "sorry I'm late but traffic was a nightmare." 

"It's okay" Joshua told her as he helped take off her coat. "Come in, this is Kathryn." 

Wiping her nose she looked up to find a girl about her age with short blond hair, blue eyes and a cute body wearing a simple, modest white dress. "Who are you?" she asked. 

"Kathryn this is Angela, she's a friend of mine. She's your surprise" Joshua explained. 

It was possible she had taken too much coke because she couldn't understand what he was saying. How was this girl her surprise? Joshua obviously sensed her confusion because as he sat down beside her he whispered in her ear "don't you remember our last formal? You...me...Rebecca?" 

Kathryn eyes widened as she realized what he was getting at. No she still couldn't recall that night but she wasn't exactly shocked. Like the drugs, they had on occasion participated in threesomes together. Kathryn had gone along with it either because she was too high or for experimental reasons. However it wasn't an experience she was necessarily eager to repeat especially with some stranger. The other girls she had done it with she had known ahead of time. Besides this girl _looked_ all too familiar for her taste. 

Sighing Kathryn whispered "you want to..." 

"Come on" he pressed "it will be fun. You enjoyed yourself last time." 

Joshua reached over and kissed her hungrily. Kathryn returned it forgetting for a moment that another person was in the room. However she was soon reminded when the girl appeared beside them. Joshua broke apart and smiled over at Angela. He leaned over and kissed her tentatively at first and then more urgently. Kathryn watched this for a moment feeling anything but turned on. She didn't want this and she wasn't about to go along with it. Getting to her feet Kathryn charged over to the door and called out "no thanks." 

"Kathryn!" Joshua called after her. When she stopped and turned around he asked "what's your problem?" 

"I'm not in the mood" she hissed. "But by all means you go ahead. You two have fun." 

She left the room slamming the door hard. Kathryn stood out side the room a minute sure he was going to come out and apologize for his 'surprise'. After fifteen minutes past he still hadn't come out but she had heard distinctive moaning coming from the other side. Kathryn was pissed but then reminded herself of their god damn open relationship. When he returned from school she had mistakenly believed they had abolished that rule but apparently they hadn't. 

Not wanting to hang around her room while her boyfriend got his rocks off with another girl, Kathryn headed down the hall and got onto the elevator. She wasn't really sure where she was going, she just had to get away. How had this night which seemed so promising turned into such a fucking disaster? Sebastian showing up with that slut then Joshua's idea of a rekindling old memories, it just got worse and worse. 

The elevator came to a stop on the fourteenth. Kathryn rolled her eyes not wanting to be around anyone else at the moment. When the doors opened she glanced up to find Sebastian who looked equally surprised to see her. However strangely enough he didn't say a word. Instead he got into the elevator, hit the button marked lobby and then leaned against the wall opposite her acting as if they were strangers. 

She stared at him curiously for a minute and he sensed her staring. "What?" he demanded. 

"Nothing" she sighed "did you enjoy that carnival ride you call a date?" 

Kathryn expected some sort of nasty comeback from him so she was genuinely surprised when he simply stared back at her. This time it was her who demanded "what?" 

Glancing over at the control panel of the elevator Sebastian hit something and the elevator came to an abrupt stop. Charging over to her side of the confide space he grabbed her suddenly and kissed her hard on the mouth nearly knocking the wind out of her. Kathryn pushed him away and replied "I don't think so." 

Sebastian said nothing, he only pressed in closer to her crushing her against the wall of the elevator. His eyes burned into her and Kathryn realized then she didn't want him to stop. Reaching out she grabbed him from around the neck and brought his mouth down on hers. They kissed each other with such force Kathryn felt as if she would be bruised tomorrow. She didn't care though. All she wanted was to feel him touch her again. 

Unlike their previous times together however there was nothing gentle about his touch. Instead it was demanding and rough but it felt good none the less. When Sebastian snaked a hand up her dress and pushed her panties aside Kathryn let out a soft moan realizing he intended to fuck her right there in the elevator. That too she wasn't about to object to. After all if her boyfriend could fuck some girl in their hotel room she could certainly screw around as well. 

Kathryn started to help Sebastian with his pants but he swatted her hands away and spun her around. He practically slammed her into the wall as he bent her slightly against the hand rail. Using one hand to push her dress up and the other to undue his pants Sebastian seemed determined to take control of this situation. For once Kathryn allowed it, a thrill of excitement coursing through her as she wondered what he planned to do. 

A second later he entered her just as he had done a dozens of times before. It was hard and deep, if she hadn't been ready for him it would have hurt a lot. Sebastian began to thrust into her roughly and Kathryn responded eagerly. There was a mirror in front of them and as he fucked her she watched him. His face wasn't twisted in pleasure but rather anger. He was pissed at her she realized then but she couldn't be sure what for, though she assumed there was probably a number of reasons. 

He continued to fuck her almost brutally fast, squeezing her hips tightly as he moved inside of her. It hurt but there was also pleasure in it. Clutching the railing in one hand she reached back for him with the other but he pushed her hand away. Sebastian didn't seem to want her to touch him and this just added to her confusion. 

They continued fucking until Kathryn became soar, she needed to cum badly. When Sebastian began to slow his thrusts down she knew that to be a sign that he was holding off his orgasm. She almost laughed at the irony. He was waiting for her to cum. Even when he was angry as hell at her he was still considerate towards her in bed. 

Eventually she was able to bring herself off and Sebastian followed soon after thrusting once more into her with one low groan. As he did he fell back against her heaving body and for a moment Kathryn believed perhaps he wasn't as angry with her as he seemed. But then he quickly pulled out of her and didn't bother to help her regain her balance when he knees got weak. Instead Sebastian took part of her dress and used it to clean his dick off before walking back over to the panel. He hit the lobby button and the elevator resumed heading down. 

Kathryn finally turned around and looked back at him feeling totally dazed. He looked so cold, so unfeeling it shocked her. "What the hell are you doing?" she whispered to him. 

"I'm going home" he informed her with a bored drawl as he zipped up his pants. The elevator doors opened then and he started to step out but stopped. Looking back at her he sneered "you might want to clean yourself up a bit so you don't look like such a slut when you go back to your boyfriend." 

For once she didn't have a nasty retort and instead gaped at him in shock. Fixing her dress she watched as he walked off the elevator without another word. Soon the doors closed again and as they did she slumped against the wall trying her best not to give in to her tears. 

****** 

Sebastian stepped out of the elevator with his balls firmly in his pocket. This is what he should have done the first time they had sex, no the first time they met. Treating her no different from the countless other girls he had nailed over the years. She was nothing, just another warm body to use and throw away. 

Only deep down he knew she wasn't. Walking away from her a part of him desperately wanted to turn around and make sure she was okay but he wouldn't allow himself to do it. Sebastian knew she wasn't all right, he had seen the look in Kathryn's eyes that told him she wasn't. He had finally broke her, just as he always wanted to. She was no longer the unmovable ice queen, she was just another girl who trusted the wrong guy. 

Fuck he hated himself but she deserved it. He repeated this over and over in his head as he headed for the hotel exit. "That was cold man" said a familiar voice behind him. 

Sebastian stopped in his tracks and sighed. "It's none of your concern Marcus." 

"You just hurt a friend of mine so it sort of it" 

With a cold laugh Sebastian asked "friend? How soon your forget! Wasn't it Kathryn who tried to destroy your relationship with Annette. Not to mention how she tried to blackmail the poor girl into giving me he-" 

"I know what she's done" Marcus snapped. "It doesn't change her feeling for you." 

Sebastian wasn't sure where he was going with this but he knew he wasn't in the mood to listen to it. "Kathryn doesn't feel for anyone but herself. Oh wait, no apparently she does love Joshua. She only fucks me when the mood suits her. I've had enough of getting jerked around by her so I decided to get a little of my dignity back. Funny Marcus I thought you of all people would approve." 

Marcus smiled at him, "you can make all the excuses in the world Valmont but I know you still care for that girl." 

Sebastian rolled his eyes and turned away from him. "As enlightening as this has been Marcus I have to get going." 

"What would you say if I offered to help you get her back?" 

He really wanted to keep walking, pretend he never heard that question but his curiosity got the best of him. Stopping right before the door Sebastian turned back to him and asked "what are you talking about?" 

Marcus approached him with a conspirators grin. "I'm suggesting you and I team up to get rid of Joshua for good. With him out of the picture Kathryn is as good as yours." 

"I told you I'm not interested in her" 

"And I told you I'm not buying that bullshit." 

Shaking his head Sebastian snickered "you must be desperate to get Joshua away from Annette if your willing to come to me for help." 

"Hey if I wanted to get rid of him on my own it wouldn't be a problem. Getting you involved just makes things less messier." 

"So let me get this straight, you're the one who brought the problem here to begin with. A problem that screwed with my life considerably and now you want my help to fix it because it has the potential to make your life a little unpleasant? Sorry not interested." 

"Do you honestly think you can give her up just like that?" Marcus asked him. "Valmont I'm offering the opportunity to get everything you want. Joshua gone for good and Kathryn back with you where she belongs." 

Sebastian considered this a moment, letting the small possibility sink it that he could perhaps have Kathryn after all. It was an idea that sent a slight shiver of delight through him but also frightened him. Stepping closer towards Marcus he asked "what exactly would this involve?" 

Marcus grinned "well that depends. Are you in or are you out?" 

- to be continued (Please Review) 


	10. Closer

**The Tribunal**

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**Summary: After experiencing an emotionally draining morning with Sebastian and Joshua, Kathryn has a night out she won't soon forget.**

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**Authors Note: In response to Michelle's question there will be about five more chapters after this including the epilogue. Look for more than a few twists and dark spots to pop up. That's all I'm saying. Oh and the song I used is Closer by Nine Inch Nails. Enjoy.**

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**Chapter 10: Closer**

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****"So mademoiselle Merteuil, is all forgiven?" 

Leaning back against her four poster bed, arms firmly crossed to her chest, Kathryn's scowl didn't waver in the slightest. Anyone else might have grown uncomfortable under her hard, unrelentingly cold stare but Joshua had grown accustomed to it. Instead of backing away he moved even closer to her and smiled lasciviously at her. "Judging by the reception I got when I came in I'd say the answer to that question is a resounding yes." 

Her green eyes narrowing even more at him she chided "don't confuse sex with forgiveness Joshua. I simply had an itch that needed to be scratched and you were the closest warm body." 

"Oh Katie" he sighed "surely you can lie better than that." 

Unable to help herself the corners of Kathryn's mouth turned upwards into a smirk. She then quickly turned on to her side facing away from him. It would be easier to appear mad at him if she didn't have to face him because when his eyes were on her the truth became painfully clear: she would always forgive him. 

It was true she had been angry at him the previous night, more angry than she had ever been with him before. Part of the reason Kathryn had laid awake all night was because she was thinking up various means of torture to bring upon him. It was bad enough he teased her with a surprise all night which turned out to be a threesome with some blond who looked decidedly like his ex. Then he had the nerve to ignore her anger at the situation in favor of screwing the twit. Yes they did agree to an open relationship but there were some things that were just in bad taste and in Kathryn's opinion that was one of them. 

However her anger began to fade when the sun came up and Joshua appeared on her doorstep early that morning. Even before he apologized she forgave him just for showing up in the first place. Normally he would have waited awhile for her to simmer down before coming over but today he hadn't, which proved to her that he truly realized the error of his ways. Without a word Kathryn pulled him into her bedroom where they shared a quick but passionate screw, but she still didn't give him an answer to his question. Yes she might have forgiven him but she sure as hell wasn't about to tell him that. 

Now as Joshua laid down beside her, spooning his arms around her waist and nuzzling her neck Kathryn closed her eyes, an act he would likely view as annoyance but in actuality it was contentment. "I really didn't mean any harm but it Katie" he murmured into her skin, purposely using his affectionate name for her. "I thought you would enjoy it, you seemed to last time." 

"I was completely wasted the last time" she huffed. "Besides which I didn't even know that girl." 

"Yes I should have taken this into account and mind you I would have if I had been in a slightly more cohesive state at the time. What can I say Kathryn I was completely smashed last night. Hell for all I knew that girl could have been you." 

Kathryn whipped her head back around at him angry "if you think this is helping your case any rest assured it isn't. Anyway you weren't that out of it." 

"I made a mistake, okay? I shouldn't have brought her to the room and I shouldn't have gone to bed with her when you were obviously so distressed by the situation." 

"I wasn't _distressed_" she pouted. 

"Right. Where did you go after you left the room? You never did tell me." 

Ah, yes the other reason she had been up all night. If she was honest with herself maybe she'd admit it was the only reason. Thinking back to the scene in the elevator Kathryn pulled away from Joshua and scowled this time with genuine anger. Fucking Valmont, how dare he treat her like that she. Screwing her up against the wall like that, like some common hooker. Okay so perhaps she had enjoyed it somewhat but not what followed afterwards. The way he looked at her, so cold and unfeeling it made her blood run cold. Never, even when he was at his angriest with her did Sebastian look at her like that. Then he outright called her a slut and left her there like a piece of garbage he had no use for. Kathryn shuddered at the memory of it. 

She might have forgiven Joshua for the way he treated her but there was no way she would offer Sebastian that luxury. No from this point on he was nothing to her. She wouldn't even bother hurting him back because that's how little he meant to her. Still as she laid there in Joshua's arms she couldn't help but wonder if it really even mattered. Judging by how Sebastian treated her last night it would appear he was very much done with her. That final act was just his last bit of closure. 

"Kathryn?" Joshua called to her obviously amused "Katie what are you thinking about?" 

Shaking the memory off she rolled onto her back and sighed "nothing important." 

"Well then, is the verdict in? Am I forgiven?" 

She didn't answer him, just smiled slyly as she drew him mouth down to hers for a kiss. Joshua's mouth eagerly responded as his hands got tangled in her dark locks. In that moment Kathryn felt warm and somewhat at peace. All thoughts of Sebastian and his treatment of her were forgotten as she lost herself in Joshua's embrace. It was perhaps this feeling of comfort and light headedness that caused the words to tumble out of her mouth, words she swore she'd never say to him out loud. 

"I love you" she sighed as she broke away breathlessly. 

Joshua looked down at her somewhat perplexed. Had she frightened him? Had she gone too far? Kathryn couldn't tell but then this smile broke out across his handsome face. It was then she was sure he would return the sentiment, only...he didn't. 

"Where shall we live after we marry?" 

The marriage game, he usually used it as a way to calm her down or talk her out of a bad mood. It usually worked to but not today because he was using it to avoid what she said. Prevent things for being awkward because he wouldn't say those three little words back to her. It was painful of course but Kathryn wouldn't let herself dote on it. She knew he would never say it back, not now at least when they were still so young and not officially committed to each other. She knew this and yet she had said it anyway so it was her fault really that she was left disappointed. 

Kathryn couldn't really get angry with him so instead she smiled and played along. Threading her fingers through his soft dark hair she replied "I like New York but London would be nice." 

"Yes mum would like that" he agreed as he planted soft kisses on her bare stomach. Then suddenly he stopped and his head shot up abruptly. "Shit, what time is it?" 

"It's a quarter to eleven" 

Joshua made a frustrated groan as he got off the bed and quickly started to dress. "I promised my mother I'd meet her for breakfast fifteen minutes ago. Christ she's going to have my head." 

Kathryn snickered "such a mommy's boy. Worried she'll ground you?" 

"Worried she won't pay for my tuition is more like it. She's starting to use the J word." 

"Jackass?" she teased. 

"Job" he explained with a disgusted sneer. "Ever since she found out I took a month off from school she's been insisting I put my time to good use whatever that means." 

"You spend your time fucking me, I'd say that's very good use" 

Joshua laughed "I'd tend to agree." He bent down and gave her another soft kiss. "You're welcome to come along if you'd like. I'm sure mother would be pleased to see you." 

As the two of them headed to the front door Kathryn turned her nose up at the suggestion. Joshua's mother was a complete nightmare and utterly boring to boot. "No I don't think so. I'm terribly tired and need my rest but send her my love." 

"I will" Joshua kissed her one last time before opening the door to leave. "I'll see you tonight though, right?" 

"Yeah, tonight" 

He nodded and tossed her a smile as he disappeared out the door and into an awaiting car. As she watched him go Kathryn was tempted to tell him she loved him once again if only to see how he would react. But she learned her lesson the first time and decided then she wouldn't let those words pass through her lips again for some time. 

Turning around Kathryn headed back to her room with every intention of going back to bed. However she was stopped by an obstacle in her path. Sebastian was sitting, or rather lounging in one of her mothers antique arm chairs. He looked better than the last time she'd seen him. Now dressed in a crisp brown suit and tie he might have appeared appealing to her if she hadn't been so angry at the mere sight of him. Not bothering to even ask what he was doing there or even how he got in without her noticing she simply ordered "get out!" 

Sebastian as usual didn't even flinch at her coldness. Instead he languidly rose to his feet and with a heavy sigh retorted "I suppose good morning is too much to hope for. Aren't you even somewhat curious why I'm here?" 

"No" she replied evenly. "In fact I don't give a flying fuck what you do so long as it's far away from me." 

Kathryn started to cross the room, eager to get away from him and his penetrating stare. She really didn't care what he wanted, she just wanted to get away from him. She was almost to the door when he called out "I came to apologize." 

Sure enough that stopped her in her tracks. With her back still to him Kathryn allowed herself a moment of surprise. Sebastian, apologize? From the moment they'd met he made it clear that was something he just didn't do so she was genuinely shocked when he told her this. Still it didn't waver her anger towards him in the slightest. Whipping around she hissed "since when do you believe in apologizing?" 

The cockiness vanishing from his face he explained "since I seriously fucked up last night. I never should have...it was wrong, I was wrong. I'm sorry for how I treated you Kathryn." 

Hearing these words come out of Valmont's mouth of all people, you could have knocked her over with a feather. Kathryn was shocked and maybe she softened just a bit at his words but she certainly wasn't about to forgive and forget. Charging up to him she yelled "you're sorry? What just because the almighty Sebastian Valmont finally apologizes for something I should get down on my knees and thank you? Well fuck you! I don't give a damn if you're sorry or not!" 

He flinched at her harsh words and his eyes looked away from her as he stammered "I-I'm sorry, I don't know.." 

"I don't care about you fucking apologies!" she sneered. "All I want to know is why? What the hell were you trying to accomplish last night?" 

"I don't know" he replied softly. 

"Bullshit! You had enough balls to treat me like a whore in that elevator, you should at the very least have enough to tell me the truth now." 

"Fine!" he hollered back with sudden anger. "You want the truth here it is. I was in bed with Isabel last night, she was laying there completely naked waiting for me to fuck her but I couldn't do it because all I could think about was you! Here was this beautiful, sexy girl dying for me take her and I couldn't even get hard! I was disgusted with the mere idea of touching any girl that wasn't you and in that moment Kathryn I hated you more than I ever thought possible. You made me weak and I wanted to destroy you for that. I didn't plan any of it though, I just left Isabel's room, got on the elevator and there you were. I didn't even think I just acted." 

Sebastian was now standing only a foot away from her practically quivering with anger. Watching him intently Kathryn demanded "so what you wanted to tear me down? Well then in that case well done Valmont. You completely fucked me and I don't mean just physically. Do you have any idea what that feels like? I cared about you, I trusted you and you treat me like...like I'm just another common girl for you to screw and throw away. You can apologize all you want but you have no concept of what that's-" 

"No concept?" Sebastian repeated with a humorless laugh. "I know exactly what that feels like because you did it to me! That night in the street when I called you down and you dismissed me-" 

"That's not true! You knew how hard it was for me to break things off with you Sebastian but I had to! I love Joshua and you knew that." 

"And yet I fell for you all the same" he snickered. Before Kathryn could ask what he meant by that Sebastian cupped her face and kissed her hard of the mouth. She was so caught of guard she might have stumbled backwards had it not been for the piano behind her. Crushed between the hard wood instrument and Sebastian's form she had nothing left to do but kiss him back just as eagerly. It was sloppy and urgent but none the less passionate. 

At last Kathryn pulled her head back breaking the kiss but Sebastian still remained where he was pressed up tight against her. Breathless she told him "lets just say we're even now. I hurt you, you hurt me, it's over with. You should go now." 

Sebastian ignored her request however and instead kissed her once again only this time it was short and he pulled away afterwards. "Do you miss me?" 

Kathryn blinked in surprise "sometimes...but that doesn't change anything." 

He smiled back at her a genuine smile, "it changes everything." 

Once again he kissed her and she found herself responding-for a moment anyway. Pulling away from him she at last was able to remove herself from the cramped space. "I'm exhausted, I need sleep and you need to leave." 

"Fine I'll go but I'm not backing down" 

Kathryn swung back around and was about to demand what he meant by that only Sebastian was gone. Looking around the now vacant room it was as if he was never there at all. Kathryn would have thought she dreamt the whole thing if it wasn't for the fact that she could still taste him on her mouth. 

****** 

_RING_..._RING_..._RING_... 

At the sound of his ringing cell phone Marcus grumbled a soft curse under his breath and reached carelessly towards the night side table. Who the hell could be calling this early of a Sunday morning? As he picked up the phone he noticed the hotel alarm clock showed it was after eleven. Maybe it wasn't that early after all but he was still annoyed at being woken up and intended on making that known to whomever was calling. "What?" he demanded into the receiver. 

"When did saying hello become such a big fucking task for people?"  


"Sebastian?" 

"Yeah" he grumbled "look we need to discuss that offer you made last night." 

Marcus sat up suddenly alert "have you made a decision?" 

"I'm not discussing it over the phone" he replied sharply. "We need to talk now." 

"Well, uh, okay I'm at-" 

"I know where to find you" 

With that Sebastian hung up and Marcus was left listening to the dial tone. Shaking his head he turned the phone off when the blond creature a top him began to stir. "Who was that?" Annette murmured sleepily. 

Smiling down at her affectionately Marcus stroked her hair and replied "it was Sebastian he's on his way over here." 

She lifted her face up from his chest and smiled slyly up at him "what are you boys up to?" 

Marcus hated to lie to her but at the same time he knew he couldn't very well tell her he was plotting to get her ex-boyfriend out of town just so he'd stop sniffing around her. Wrapping a protective arm around her slender body he said nonchalantly "it's nothing. He just wanted to discuss Kathryn." 

"Kathryn?" 

"Yes" 

"Are you sure you don't mean Joshua?" she asked with just a hint of a knowing smirk. 

Realizing he'd been caught Marcus replied "his name might come up in the discussion." 

Annette laughed as she pulled herself up to a sitting position and begun to gather her clothes. "Look just do me a favor and be careful. It makes me nervous when you start messing around with the tribunal and even more so when you throw Sebastian into the mix." 

"I promise I'll be careful" he assured her. When he noticed her start to get dressed her pulled her back down to him "hey what are you doing? You don't have to leave." 

"Oh yes I do" she sighed. "My dad thinks I'm staying over Shelly's and if I don't get home soon he might call over there and find out I lied. I really don't want to explain where I really was to him. Besides I don't really think I want to be around when you and Sebastian discuss...whatever it is you're up to." 

Marcus drew her down for a kiss, he so very much loved this woman. Breaking away from her he asked "why are you being so cool about this? I was sure you'd disapprove of me taking action against Joshua?" 

Getting to her feat she sighed "I don't like it namely because I don't want you to get in trouble. But I love you and I'm going to trust that you know what you're doing." 

"I do" 

"All right then" 

There was a knock of the door of the suite and Annette went to answer it. "Sebastian good morning" she opened the door for him to come in. "I'm rather shocked to see you out of bed this early on a Sunday morning." 

"I'm rather shocked to see you sneaking out of hotel rooms on a Sunday morning. Shouldn't you be at church?" 

Annette rolled her eyes at him "I have to get going. I'll call to you later Marcus. Good luck Sebastian something tells me you'll need it." 

Sebastian sneered at her "say hello to headmaster daddy for me." 

As she left Annette tossed him the finger and Sebastian snickered "I think she still has a thing for me." Marcus glared at him coldly in response and he laughed "I'm kidding, relax." 

Getting up Marcus poured himself a glass of water and grumbled "you're in a much better mood from the last time I saw you. What changed?" 

"I talked with Kathryn this morning" he explained plopping down on the sofa. 

Marcus looked rather surprised "I can't imagine that went well. Kathryn just agreed to forgive and forget the way you treated her?" 

"Lets just say we came to a mutual understanding." 

He was surprised at this but then again he couldn't begin to fathom the strangeness that went on in Kathryn and Sebastian's relationship. "Then I take it you want in?" 

Straightening the glasses on his face Sebastian nodded "yeah I'm in so what's this plan?" 

Marcus smiled mysteriously as he explained "the whole tribunal is going to this club tonight, Persuasion. Ever hear of it?" 

"I think so" 

"Good be there tonight around ten" 

Sebastian stared at him curiously "why?" 

"Persuasion my friend" he chuckled "the name of the game is persuasion. You'll see what I mean tonight." 

****** 

"They're opening up the VIP room for us exclusively" Joshua called out over the roar of the music as they entered the club. "The owner is an old friend of mine." 

The group of tribunal members following behind them voiced their obvious pleasure at this news. Everyone was quite impressed by Joshua's ability to make a great party even better. Everyone that is except for the beautiful brunette on his arm. While the rest laughed and moved about the crowd happily Kathryn sulked. 

It wasn't like she wanted Joshua to go back to school, on the contrary she loved having him home. The one down side to his arrival however was the fact that he seemed to immediately take over the leadership position that he had left for her. When she reminded to him that she was leader now he condescendingly patted her on the head and replied "of course you are Katie." It pissed her off greatly but she didn't want to make a big deal about it. After all it must have been hard for him to return and no longer officially be part of the group. 

"Guys lets head up to the second level, they have the best bartenders up there" Joshua called out. Of course everyone followed him including Kathryn who had pulled away from his arm and fell behind. Perhaps it was time she brought up to him yet again that he was no longer in charge. She was done with being ordered around, she was the fucking leader. 

As she climbed the spiral staircase that led to the second floor of the club she felt a hand press on her lower back. "You never were good at following commands" Marcus whispered in ear. 

If it was anyone else Kathryn wouldn't dare mention how annoyed she was with Joshua for how he was acting but Marcus was different. He understood her better than most. "I could have sworn he made me leader" she replied bitterly to him. 

"He seems to be having trouble letting the position go" Marcus replied. "Have you talked with him?" 

She shrugged "sort of but I'm not sure what to say. I'm happy your back but keep out of the tribunal, it's mine now?" 

"That sounds about right." When she rolled her eyes at this he laughed "don't worry about it Kathryn, Joshua won't be a problem for long." 

Kathryn glanced over at him quickly and cautiously asked "what do you mean?" 

Marcus didn't elaborate however, he simply laughed and walked away. Kathryn watched him head over to the bar and she was going to ask him what he meant by that but then decided against it. Truth be told she didn't really want to know what he was up to, she really didn't need any more anxiety. Between Joshua's lack of feelings for her and Sebastian sudden emotions towards her she had enough things to worry about. 

As Joshua went off to order some drinks Kathryn wandered over to the balcony. Looking down at the crowded dance floor below she watched as numerous bodies swarmed around, grinding intently into one another to the beat of the blaring music. Among the crowd she watched as one individual broke away and sauntered up to the bar. It might have been Kathryn's imagination since she was just thinking about him, but that guy with the blond hair and nice ass looked awfully familiar. 

No it wasn't her imagination it was Sebastian. She found herself leaning further over the rail of the balcony as she watched him wondering what the hell he was doing here. Surely it couldn't be just a coincidence. At first he didn't seem to notice her as he waited for the bartender to get his drink. When it was at last in front of him he picked it up, raised it to his lips and was about to drink when he looked up and spotted her. With a smirk he brought the glass up into the air like he was toasting her. Kathryn scowled at this and turned around. However she was unable to help herself and looked over her shoulder to see him still watching her. Only now he was laughing. 

Kathryn was bristling with annoyance. What did he think he was doing showing up here? He had to know Joshua was here with her so what was he after? She told herself she didn't care and made a vow to ignore him. Kathryn headed over to the upstairs bar to go find Joshua so they could go dance only he wasn't there. "Where's Joshua?" she demanded from a tribunal member named Lily. 

The girl grinned slyly at her then pointed towards the opposite end of the club. Joshua was being literally pulled away by two curvaceous females and he didn't seem to be protesting a bit. On the contrary he seemed quite delighted. "Asshole" Kathryn muttered under her breath as the younger tribunal members snickered and walked away. She glared after them but it was fruitless, they didn't give a damn about respecting her anyway. If it wasn't bad enough that Joshua was running around with girls who weren't her he was also stealing her leadership position away and expecting _her_ to fall in line. Well fuck that. 

Leaving the upstairs party behind Kathryn headed back downstairs past the crowded dance floor to the bar. She looked around expecting to find Valmont but he was no where to be found. Disappointed she went and ordered a martini. "And make it quick!" she ordered the somewhat inept looking bar maid. 

Suddenly she felt the sensation of arms circling her waist as a familiarly cocky voice whispered in her ear "you have to learn the fine art of patients baby." 

Not bothering to turn around Kathryn grinned as she replied "I've never held much stock in that virtue." Looking over her shoulder she smirked up at Sebastian "hi." 

"Hello" he drawled "shouldn't you be upstairs with the rest of your party?" 

"I got bored" 

"We'll have to remedy that then" he told her as he led her by the waist out onto the dance floor. Sebastian pulled her out to the center where they were forced to dance so close they were literally on top of each other. Normally Kathryn would protest doing this, especially since they were in full view of the tribunal but thinking back to Joshua and his treatment of her, she didn't care so much. Besides Sebastian felt good pressed against her and the Nine Inch Nails song pounding through the club was one of her favorites. 

_You let me violate you_

_You let me desecrate you_

_You let me penetrate you_

_You let me complicate you_

__Sebastian was gripping her waist tightly, possessive almost as she moved back against him. Kathryn swayed her hips back against his pelvis and her arm came around, gripping his neck. Having him this close to her, feeling him become aroused felt so unbelievably good. Kathryn felt powerful having this control over him but at the same time she felt like she could lose control any moment and that felt even better. 

When his hand come down to her thigh and then slowly made it's way up her short skirt she didn't protest. No, in fact she egged him on, using her free hand to grip his side pulling him even closer. Sebastian's hand was now gently, teasingly rubbing against the silky fabric of her panties and he began to kiss her neck. When his teeth nipped at her skin Kathryn let out a moan that was drowned out by the music. 

_Help me_

_I broke apart my insides_

_Help me_

_I've got no soul to sell_

_Help me_

_The only thing that works for me_

_Help me get away from myself_

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"Sebastian" she groaned unable to contain herself. Kathryn had nearly forgotten where she was or what she was doing, all she could feel was him. 

"Do you want me to stop?" he asked indicating the hand that was now openly fingering her. 

"No" Kathryn whimpered tugging his hair for emphasis. When she heard him laugh at this she joined him as they continued their dance. 

_I wanna fuck you like an animal_

_I wanna feel you from the inside_

_I wanna fuck you like an animal_

_My whole existence is flawed_

_You get me closer to God_

Just as she was on the verge of cumming she heard Sebastian groan. She looked back and saw the pained expression on his face. With a grin she reached between their bodies and grabbed hold of the bulge in his pants. All of this teasing must have been driving him crazy she mused to herself. Stroking him she murmured "is that better?" 

Sebastian's lips brushed against hers and he replied "little bit. You know what would feel even better..." He trailed off as something upstairs caught his attention. His lips curled into a smirk as he told her "I think we have an audience." 

Kathryn glanced up and saw Joshua leaning against the upstairs balcony looking quite pissed. He was glaring coldly down at them, completely oblivious to the blond tugging at his arm. "Looks like you got his attention" Sebastian sneered. 

Turning her attention back on her dance partner she grinned "fuck 'em." 

_You can have my isolation_

_You can have the hate that it brings_

_You can have my absence of faith_

_You can have my everything_

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__Joshua meanwhile wasn't finding any of this the least bit amusing. Ginger or whatever she called herself was trying to get him to come dance with but his attention at the moment was fully on Kathryn. He suspected that's what this little stunt was all about. She knew damn well he didn't want her anywhere near Valmont. So when he turns his attention away from her for even a moment she runs to him. If she was trying to humiliate him in front of the tribunal she was succeeding. 

Marcus came up beside him and snickered "are they at it again?" 

Joshua glared over at him and sneered "what do you mean again?" 

"Last night at the formal I noticed them looking...intimate." 

"How intimate?" 

Marcus gestured to dancing couple below "like that but without clothes." 

He squeezed the metal railing and yelled "that son of a bitch is fucking dead!" 

Joshua started to head downstairs but Marcus pulled him back. "Hey correct me if I'm wrong but Kathryn doesn't appear to be protesting any. In fact she rather looks like she's enjoying herself." 

Pulling out of his grip he snarled "watch your tongue boy, remember who you're talking to. Last time I checked you're not leader." 

"No I'm not" Marcus retorted "she is, perhaps you've forgotten." 

"Get out of my way" Joshua pushed him away gruffly and started down the steps. He didn't run, he didn't want to make a scene but he did charge towards the dance floor with every intent of pushing that prick away from his girlfriend. 

Only as he made his way through the dance floor he didn't find them. Looking over the heads of the crowd he didn't spot them but even with the pounding music in his ears he was able to make out Kathryn's distinctive giggle. Joshua whipped around just in time to catch sight of Kathryn as she dashed off the dance floor hand in hand with Sebastian. Joshua didn't follow though, he was too stunned at the sight of his girlfriend running away from him. 

_Help me_

_Tear down my reason_

_Help me_

_It's your sex I can smell_

_Help me_

_You make me perfect_

_Help me become somebody else_

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__"Is he still behind us?" Sebastian asked tugging Kathryn further away from the dance floor. 

The brunette ran a hand through her hair and laughed "I'm not sure. Let's hide just in case." 

Actually the truth was she didn't want to hide, she wanted to fuck. Grinding up against Sebastian, especially in full view of everyone had made her incredibly horny. She didn't care about Joshua or his feelings, let him worry about her for once. Grabbing Sebastian's hand she yanked him into the ladies room. There were a few girls inside but no one seemed to pay any attention to the fact that a guy had entered. Everyone just went about there business as Kathryn pulled him into an empty stall and locked the door. 

Pushing her back against the metal wall Sebastian grabbed one of her legs and hooked it around his waist. As Kathryn started to undue his pants he drawled "you know he might come in here looking for you." 

"Maybe" she replied pulling her underwear off. "Are you worried?" 

Sebastian picked her up suddenly causing her to wrap her other leg around his waist. "Hey if it isn't a problem for you..." She silenced him with a kiss that he eagerly returned. It was strange, they were in a cramped bathroom stall, noise everywhere and her boyfriend could barge in on them any minute, yet Kathryn was so much more relaxed than she had been in that fancy hotel elevator. She trusted this guy in front of her, who pretended to be nastier than he really was and who would die before hurting her like he did before. 

When she felt his prick start to penetrate her Kathryn lost all train of thought. Gripping onto Sebastian's neck tightly she tossed back her head and uttered one request, "fuck me." 

_I wanna fuck you like an animal_

_I wanna feel you from the inside_

_I wanna fuck you like an animal_

_My whole existence is flawed_

_You get me closer to God_

God..god..god..that word played over and over in her head until it lost all meaning. Sebastian was thrusting into her hard now, with such force she was amazed they didn't knock the stall down. He felt so good and he kept rubbing that place that was sure to make her come. Just..a little...more... 

Sebastian was groaning her name, clutching onto her waist for dear life as he pounded into her. He was sure there was a crowd of people outside listening intently to them but he didn't care. The only thing he cared about at that moment was the girl he was inside. Kathryn...Kathryn...Kathryn.. 

"God..ah...ah...I'm almost..." 

"Kathryn" 

"Sebastian" 

"Oh god...Kathryn I love you!" 

They both came simultaneously. 

_All through every forest_

_Above the trees_

_Within my stomach_

_Scraped off my knees_

_I drink the honey_

_Inside your hive_

_You are the reason I stay alive_

She hadn't heard that right, had she? As she leaned against the hard metal wall behind her, still clutching Sebastian Kathryn tried to catch her breath. The song had stopped and the silence seemed almost deafening. His words played over in her head as she wondered if perhaps it was just the orgasm talking. People said stupid things right before they came. Maybe this was one of those times. 

However as he pulled away from her neck and his eyes met hers she knew this wasn't one of those times. He had meant it. 

Pulling her legs from his waist she got back on the ground. Her legs were shaky and not just from the sex. Kathryn's eyes were still on Sebastian's as she slowly backed out of the stall. Suddenly she wasn't feeling so relaxed. 

"Kathryn I..." 

She held her hand up to silence him and without another word she practically ran out of the bathroom. Kathryn pushed past the crowd, stumbling slightly as she tried to get away. Her legs were still shaking and her mind felt like it was swirling. Suddenly she bumped into someone and felt herself start to fall back. She thought she would hit the ground but no someone caught her. Looking over her shoulder she realized she had fallen into Joshua's arms. 

"There you are" he said evenly, his face showing little emotion. "Where did you two run off to?" 

Searching her brain for an explanation she said simply "it was nothing, we were just fooling around. Come on lets go." 

****** 

Sebastian fucked up. He stood among the chaotic club watching as Kathryn ran into the arms of Joshua. They didn't fight as he expected they would but rather said a few things then slowly made their way back upstairs. Sebastian noticed her look back one last time, perhaps to find him but she didn't spot him. 

Slowly he made his way back over to the bar. He couldn't get that look of panic that appeared on Kathryn's face when he said those three little words to her. Was it panic? Or possible fear, dread, horror? Sebastian couldn't be sure but it was most definitely not the look you wanted to see on someone's face after you told them I love you. 

He supposed he couldn't be angry with her, it wasn't exactly the idle place to say it. The bathroom stall of some club with god knows how many people listening. Yet her reaction still hurt like hell, apparently she didn't feel the same way. Sebastian would laugh at the irony had it not been the one it was happening to. A smug asshole, who wasn't above using the idea of love to get a girl into bed, finally falls in love and when he tells the girl she runs away in horror. A karmic reward indeed. 

"Hey how'd it go?" 

Sebastian glanced over his shoulder to see Marcus come up behind him. Rolling his eyes he grumbled "I fucked up." 

"What do you mean you fucked up? From where I was standing it looked like you were doing pretty good." 

"Oh I was" he laughed coldly "until I said something...she freaked off and ran back to Joshua." 

Marcus's brow wrinkled in confusion, "what could you have possibly said to...oh." 

Sebastian nodded glumly happy at least that Marcus was able to put two and two together so he wouldn't have to. Shaking his head as he gulped down his drink he yelled over the music "I'm out. Sorry but you're going to have to find another way to get Joshua out of town." 

"What? You're just going to give up? Now?" 

"Yeah this would seem an idle time" 

"Valmont she ran out on you because she got scared but she'll get over it. You can't just give up. What you have to do is come up stairs and make your intentions known." 

"My intentions?" he snickered 

"Look just come upstairs and show Kathryn and _Joshua_ that you aren't going to back down." 

"God you really are determined to get rid of this guy aren't you?" 

Marcus rolled his eyes "when ever you decide to strap on a pair again, we're in the VIP lounge." 

Sebastian turned around to toss of a nasty retort but Marcus was already half across the room. Turning his attention back to his drink Sebastian really had no intention of going upstairs. If Kathryn was going to run away from him he wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of chasing after her. Then again he thought back to earlier that evening, dancing with her, laughing together, that had been fun. Almost worth all the pain afterwards. Sebastian figured he could either stay put and drink himself silly in an effort to dull the pain or he could go upstairs and do something about. Ah, hell what did he have to lose besides his dignity? 

Getting up Sebastian took his time getting to the second floor. One of the waitresses pointed him to the VIP lounge in the back. Strangely enough for a VIP lounge it wasn't very hard to get into. The bouncer guarding the door simply lifted the rope for him to enter and barely glanced at him. Stepping inside the large room Sebastian found about thirty to forty of his fellow classmates sitting around. There were several large plush chairs and couches, two pool tables, a private bar and a fireplace in the back. Almost immediately he spotted Joshua and Kathryn. They were both sitting in plush chairs opposite one another. While the Brit chatted up a leggy brunette Kathryn stared off in quite contemplation. 

A few people seemed to be aware of his sudden presence but Kathryn wasn't until he was standing in front on her. She looked up at him shocked and he smiled "I don't believe we got to finish our conversation." 

"What the hell do you think you're doing here?" Joshua demanded. "This is a private party." 

Sebastian glanced over at him disinterestedly then back to Kathryn. "Why did you run out?" 

She spoke at last, her voice quiet but firm. "I think you know why." 

"Valmont get the fuck out before I have you thrown out" 

"Can't you see we're in the middle of a conversation?" Sebastian yelled back at him silencing the room completely. 

Joshua looked over at Kathryn and replied "she doesn't want to talk to you." 

"Don't you mean you don't want her to talk to me? It's perfectly fine for you to go fuck these insipid little tramps but she can't so much as talk with another guy. Is that about right Josh?" 

"Sebastian" Kathryn called to him "stop it." 

He walked back over to her and kneeled beside her "sorry but I can't. I'm sick of how he treats you, he's making you miserable. Deny it all you like but if he made you happy you wouldn't be running to me every chance you got." 

"You're the only one I see running after things Valmont and I must say it's rather pathetic" Joshua snickered. "I mean all I've heard about is this supposed great reputation of yours. Then I show up to find you just another simpering love struck puppy. It's quite sad wouldn't you say Kathryn." 

For once Kathryn didn't join in the laughter but rather stared at him coldly and replied "that's enough." 

Feeling a wave of pleasure wash over him that she wasn't immediately siding with her boyfriend Sebastian smiled and came up behind Kathryn. Placing an almost protective hand on her shoulder he said "actually you're the only one who strikes me as pathetic. I mean you're in college and instead of hanging out with people your own age your sitting around with a bunch of high schoolers. What's that about?" Once again the room went totally silent as Joshua stared daggers his way. Continuing on Sebastian said "correct me if I'm wrong, I'm not that familiar with the rules of your little club, but once you graduate aren't you suppose to move on? Guess you're having a little trouble letting go huh Josh? What's the matter, no one want to play with you at college?" 

There were a few snickers at Sebastians comments which only fueled Joshua's rage. Springing to his feet he charged at Sebastian. "You just took one step too far Valmont" he sneered before punching him hard across the face. Joshua was about the same height and weight as Sebastian but he was stronger than he looked. 

Kathryn jumped out of her seat and tried to pull her boyfriend back. "Stop it!" she ordered. "He's just trying to get a reaction from you." 

Sebastian got to his feet and scoffed "yeah and apparently it worked." Joshua went to knock him down again only Sebastian was quick. He ducked the hit and then delivered one himself into his enemies gut. Joshua in turn stumbled back against a chair. Sebastian charged over to him and began punching him across the face. He got a couple good hits in before Joshua blocked his hit and pushed him off. 

All the while no one bothered to break up the fight even as Kathryn screamed at them to stop. "Knock it off! You're acting like children, stop it! God will someone pull them apart?" When Marcus came up beside her she ordered "break it up." 

"Can't I've got twenty bucks of Sebastian." 

She looked over at him incredulously but he just shrugged. The fight continue to escalate as Joshua hit Sebastian twice in the gut and he responded by hitting him hard in the face. The punch caused Joshua to stumble backwards into the bar. As he got his bearings he noticed a bear bottle lying idly by. Smashing it against the bar he held the sharp end out towards Sebastian. "Come and get it Valmont." 

"You fucking prick I'd like to see you try" he sneered in response. 

"No! Stop it!" Kathryn yelled and she ran between them determined to break it up. Only at the same time she dogged between them Joshua jutted his arm forward determined to hit Sebastian. He missed his mark however and the glass cut right into Kathryn. 

The beautiful brunette let out a loud wail of pain as she felt the glass slice into her. Joshua pulled it out instinctively and as he did she clutched her stomach and stumbled backwards into Sebastian. He caught her as the two of them fell to the floor. Even through her black shirt they could see the blood come oozing out of her. Struggling to catch her breath she looked up at her two lovers and muttered "happy now?" She passed out before she could get an answer. 

- to be continued (Please Review) 

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	11. This Year's Love

**The Tribunal**

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**Summary: Kathryn comes to a crossroads concerning her feelings for Sebastian and Joshua. **

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**Authors Note: For some of the chapter titles of this story I used song titles that I thought fit the story. I didn't do it with all of the chapters just some. Anyway the title of this chapter is This Year's Love by David Gray one of my favorite songs. Go listen to it if you can.**

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**By the way Trip On Love (which I should have updated before this but I really wanted to get this chapter out of the way) will be up either tomorrow night or Tuesday night.**

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**Chapter 11: This Year's Love**

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**_This year's love had better last / Heaven knows it's high time / And I've been waiting on my own too long_**

**_- David Gray "This Year's Love"_**

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**__**Sebastian couldn't be sure the exact moment it happened. It wasn't like he woke up one morning and realized he was in love. No, in fact he wasn't even aware of what he felt until the words slipped out of his mouth in that bathroom stall. Now he was always one to keep his defensives up, he never said anything without careful thought even when he was on the verge of cumming. However last night something came over him and before he could contemplate the ramifications those three little words slipped out of his mouth. After his momentary panic over what he said passed Sebastian realized he meant it. He was completely and utterly in love with Kathryn. 

This was a first for Valmont in every sense of the word. When it came to women and getting them into bed he was an expert. However when it came to love he was at a complete loss. Of course it didn't help any that the girl he was after was in love with someone else or at least claimed to be. After the events of the following night Sebastian couldn't be sure where Kathryn's feeling lie and odds where he wasn't going to get an answer for a little while. Not until she woke up that is. 

As it turned out Kathryn was fine. An ambulance had arrived a few minutes after she passed out and she was rushed to the emergency room. After an hour of intense waiting with Joshua and Sebastian glaring at each other stonily from across the room and Marcus trying to get a hold of her parents the doctor had came out and revealed she would be okay. Kathryn received a few stitches in the abdomen and she had to stay a few nights in the hospital for observation. No one other than her parents (who never showed up) was allowed in to see her until visiting hours the next morning. Sebastian insisted on staying and Joshua not to be outdone stayed as well. 

For the rest of the night they avoided each other like the plague. If one was sitting in the waiting room the other went out into the corridor or down to the cafeteria. It wasn't as if they wouldn't have liked to say a boat load of nasty shit to one another, however since their last argument left Kathryn in the hospital both quietly decided to curb it till another time. 

As luck would have it when visiting hours began Joshua had disappeared, Sebastian suspected to go flirt with the girl behind the counter in the gift shop. Sebastian went to Kathryn's room alone and found her asleep so he pulled up a chair beside her bed side and tried to think of what he would say when she awoke. 

_How are you?_

__

_Sorry for getting you shot_

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_And oh yeah, I love you._

__

Yeah that wouldn't sound too pathetic Sebastian snickered to himself. Rubbing his forehead he let out a frustrated groan that inadvertently woke up Kathryn. The sleeping girl slowly began to stir and her green eyes fluttered open and started to focus. When she spotted him sitting beside her a lazy grin appeared on her face. "Morning" she murmured as if nothing was out of the ordinary. 

Sebastian had a feeling she might still be slightly light headed because of the pain killers she was on but he found her charming none the less. "Morning" he replied smiling back at her. 

Kathryn began to look around the room and as she did her eyes went wide and reality seemed to dawn. Sitting up suddenly she searched frantically and demanded "where's Joshua?" 

"I killed him and stored him in the trunk of my jag" Sebastian snipped. 

Her eyes narrowed at him as she asked, "he's all right, isn't he?" 

"Yeah he's fine" he replied coldly. "He stepped out for a cigarette." Normally Sebastian would have told her about the gift shop girl but for once he felt compelled to keep his mouth shut. It wouldn't do Kathryn any good to start worrying about that now. Eager to get off the topic of Joshua he asked her "how are you feeling?" 

"Like someone stabbed me in the gut" she answered in a complete deadpan voice. 

"That someone would be your boyfriend" he replied in a matching tone. 

Kathryn flinched at this and instinctively rubbed her stomach. "It was an accident, he wasn't aiming at me." 

"Oh I suppose you want to blame this whole thing on me?" Sebastian waited a beat before saying "you probably should." 

She didn't bother to hide her surprise at this comment but she quickly compensated by chiding "you never should have provoked him like that. I don't know what you were thinking." 

Sebastian started at her intensely "yeah you do." Their eyes met then and Kathryn looked as if she was going to say something or perhaps dispute his statement but she quickly shut her mouth. He took the opportunity to use her silence to say what he had been wanting to tell her ever since she woke up. "I meant it you know. What I said to you in the bathroom...I meant it." 

For just a brief moment Kathryn's green orbs widened before shooting down to her hands which were busy fidgeting with the hospital blanket. Kathryn never fidgeted and Sebastian found it somewhat endearing. She was nervous too. 

She didn't respond right away and the moments of silence that followed seemed an eternity to Sebastian. Finally she looked up at him, her expression hard and replied "you don't believe in love. Remember that little speech you gave me the night of the black out?" 

"Yeah I remember it. I also don't apologize either but it appears ever since you came into my life I've been doing and feeling a lot of things that are completely new to me." He chuckled darkly "apparently you make me a better man." 

"Nonsense" Kathryn huffed looking away from him. "You're not in love with me, you don't even know what it is. You just want what you can't have Valmont." 

Sebastian stood up suddenly, knocking the plastic chair over in the process. Kathryn jumped slightly at the motion and looked up at him in surprise as he stood over her and took her hand. He pressed it up against his chest and hissed "can you feel this?" When she stared back at him confused he demanded "can you!?" 

"Yes!" 

"It's my heart and it belongs to you. It has ever since the first moment I met you. Kathryn you turned my whole fucking world upside down. You and only you are responsible for this constant ache that I feel. I'm in love with you and I know no matter how much you deny it or try to fight it you feel the same way." 

"Stop it" she spat yanking her hand away. Looking away she murmured "just stop it." 

Sebastian reached out and forced her to look up at him. "I'm right aren't I?" 

Kathryn jerked away "I'm in love with Joshua. Nothing has changed between us." 

"Even though he put you in the hospital?" 

"It was an accident!" Sebastian turned away from her angry and hurt as she called out "you knew from the beginning my feelings for him but you got involved with me anyway. Now I'm sorry if I hurt you, it wasn't my intention but you have to get over this. I'm with Joshua and whatever was between us in over with." 

He spun back around, his voice quaky, almost on the verge of breaking he told her "well I don't except that." 

"Well you don't really have a choice." 

Once again Sebastian stood over her trying to hold back the emotions that were desperately trying to break through. "You're not in love with him, not really. Maybe at one point you did, when you were younger but now you see the truth. You know that Joshua doesn't love you and he's not capable of giving you what you need. We both know what you feel for him is over with." 

Her eyes burning into his Kathryn snarled "and what makes you such the fucking expert?" 

"Because" he explained leaning closer to her "if you loved Joshua even a tiny bit as much as I love you, you wouldn't have continuously gone to bed with me. You never would even have considered it." 

Just for the briefest of moments he thought he finally got to her. A flash of emotion appeared over her face and Sebastian was sure she would tell him he was right. But then her beautiful face hardened and her eyes went cold. Raising a perfectly coifed eye brow she asked flatly "is that all?" 

Sebastian flinched as if being smacked and staggered away from her. Swallowing down his pride he murmured "yes I guess it is." 

"Good" she replied curtly "then do me a favor and leave. I'm feeling rather tired and I want to rest up a bit before Joshua arrives." Sebastian just stared at her, almost shocked at how cruel and cavalier she was being. "Was there anything else?" she asked. 

"No" he whispered turning away from her and heading for the door. 

Right before he left Kathryn called out to him "Sebastian?" When he looked over his shoulder at her she simply said "don't come back." 

Sebastian nodded dully as he exited the room. As soon as he was in the hall he collapsed against the wall, trying to catch his breath. He could feel his eyes start to fill up and he realized quite miserably that he was on the brink of tears. Not wanting to break down, especially in such a public place he rubbed his hand over his eyes and muttered to himself "get a fucking grip. She's not worth it, no one is." 

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" 

Sebastian looked up just as Joshua walked by him, staring at him curiously as he hovered near Kathryn's door. He didn't give him an answer. He simple charged past him down the hall and out into the parking lot. He needed air and someplace to get sick in private. 

****** 

"How do you know Sebastian?" 

Nina Roschild (soon to be Valmont) gave Marcus a quick once over as he entered the foyer. Judging by the smile on her face she obviously liked what she saw. Marcus noted that she was attractive and he could see why Sebastian went to bed with his almost step mother but she wasn't really his type. He preferred the brainy blond he had a date with in an hour. Checking his watch Marcus realized he couldn't make a day of it chatting with the woman. With a polite smile he explained "we go to school together. Is he home? I really need to talk with him." 

"Yes I believe he's in his room but I warn you he's not in the best mood." She sighed "he practically bit my head off when he walked through the door this morning." 

Marcus nodded in understanding, he had a pretty good idea what brought on the nasty mood. "I'll keep that in mind. It was nice meeting you Mrs. Roschild." 

"Oh please call me Mrs. Valmont" 

He chuckled slightly as he passed by her and headed down to Sebastian's room. He had been to the Valmont's only once before but he remembered where his friends bedroom was located. Stopping outside the heavy wood door he raised his hand to knock but didn't. He had a feeling if he announced his presence he wouldn't be invited in so he opened the door uninvited. What greeted him wasn't a pretty sight. 

Valmont was laying face up on the bed, still wearing the same clothes from last night but now they were rumbled and undone as if he tried to get undressed but gave up half way through. In one hand he was cradling a bottle of booze and in the other a cigarette. Glancing down at the floor he found it covered in glass and other items that apparently fell off his shelf. Watching carefully where he walked Marcus stepped into the room and called out "so I take it you talked with Kathryn when she woke up." 

Sebastian replied with a semi-amused grunt, "yeah you could say that. I take it you're here for an update? Well don't hold your breath." 

"Meaning?" 

Pulling himself up to a sitting position Sebastian slumped back against the head board and drawled "meaning I'm out. From her on you're going to have to find another way to get rid of Joshua. I'm done with both him and Kathryn for good." 

Crossing his arms to his chest Marcus snickered "yeah where have I heard that before?" 

With sudden quick reflexes Sebastian took the bottle of Jack Daniel's in his hand and chucked it at Marcus. He quickly ducked out of the way and as he got back on his feet Sebastian snarled at him"I mean it! I'm done with that heartless viper once and for all." 

"Okay, okay" he said holding his hands in front of him as if surrendering. "Can I at least ask what brought on his sudden change of heart? Kathryn didn't blame you for what happened last night did she?" 

"Yeah actually she did more or less" 

"What did she say?" 

Sebastian gave him a quick and bitter run down of their discussion in her hospital room as he got up and started searching for more alcohol. When he was finished his story he slammed the liquor bottle onto the desk and spat "I'm through, if she wants to be with Joshua let her." 

Marcus sighed as he walked over and pulled the bottle of booze from his friends hand. "She didn't mean it" he explained "she was just scared. You know Kathryn, you know how she gets. She knew what you were saying was true but she can't deal with it yet but soon she'll acknowledge that her relationship with Joshua is a sham and then-" 

"Then what?" Sebastian demanded "then she'll come running back to me? Even if it did happen it's too fucking late. I'm washing my hands of her." 

"Sebastian come on you can't just-" 

"Watch me" he lamented as he slowly drank down the shot of straight vodka. When it was gone he wiped his mouth and said "now can you please go, I'd like to get smashed in private." 

****** 

Kathryn was alone and she supposed she deserved it. Entering into her museum like home the sounds of her Manolo heeled boots was all that greeted her. Not that she exactly expected a welcome home party but it would have been nice if her parents had bothered to show up. They never visited her once at the hospital because they were both off on their typical separate vacations. Her mother who she believed was still in Bali had called her a few days earlier and after Kathryn told her she was fine Tiffani promised they'd have dinner when she returned but she had to leave because the masseuse had arrived. She didn't get a phone call from her father, but he had sent a dozen white lily's. They were lovely. Kathryn preferred roses. 

Three days after later she was released from the hospital and she came home alone. The kind nurse seemed worried about her but Kathryn insisted she was okay. Her boyfriend would meet her at home she told her knowing in her heart it was a lie. When Kathryn arrived to the empty house she wasn't the least bit surprised to find another arrangement of flowers from her father and no Joshua. It was typical but it still bothered her all the same. 

After reading over her father impersonal get well soon note she tossed it carelessly to the floor and picked up the phone. She dialed Joshua's cell and waited as it rang. She let it ring ten times before hanging up. When she did Kathryn slammed the phone down with such force the rotary dial telephone crashed loudly to the hard wood floor. Tossing her head back against the sofa she listened to the phone beep but didn't bother to hang it up. 

He promised her he would be there when she got home, he promised. Kathryn shook her head bitterly as she remembered the last conversation she had with Joshua. 

_"Sorry Katie but I can't pick you up. I've got this meeting" he had explained "it's important but I'll be waiting when you come home. You're not pissed are you?"_

__

_"No it's fine"_

Of course she had been lying, she was not fine with him blowing her off. She was even less fine when he refused to go into specifics of his meeting. Joshua hadn't showed up like he promised and now she couldn't reach him. All of this led Kathryn to believe he had lied to her about what he was up to. Once again she found this typical. 

For about the hundredth time in the past three days Kathryn began to question her relationship with Joshua. Actually if she was honest she would admit she had been questioning it for even longer than that. It was during these last few days however that she gave it more serious thought. Ever since Sebastian confessed his feeling for her. 

He had never come back after that day. This wasn't that surprising seeing as she told him not to but Kathryn had still expected to see him. After all Valmont wasn't exactly known for giving up but this time had been different and she should have realized that. The look on his face when he left her room-it had haunted her long after. She had broken him just as she wanted. More to the point Kathryn wanted to make him realize that he didn't love her so she reacted coldly to his declaration on love. Sebastian was emotionally destroyed now, Marcus had told her as much when he visited or rather he had screamed it at her. Kathryn pretended to not give a shit and ordered him out. She did what she had to she told herself. 

"I had to" she repeated softly out loud. 

She shook Sebastian from her thoughts then, she had to stop thinking about him. He was in her past and Joshua was her future. It was with that thought she got to her feet and ordered the maid to pull the car around. As soon as the limo pulled up to the curb she got inside and instructed the driver to take her to Joshua's. If he wouldn't come to her she'd come to him. 

When she arrived at the Kennsington's elaborate penthouse their Filipino maid greeted her. When she asked to see Joshua a strange look passed over the woman's tired face before she revealed he was in his bedroom. Kathryn charged past her and went up the spiral staircase to his bedroom. Even before she tossed open the double doors she had a sneaking suspicion what she would find. 

Sure enough Joshua was there and just as Kathryn suspected he wasn't alone. A pretty petite red hair girl with sizable breasts was ridding him hard and groaning like a whore as she did so. As soon as she entered they both looked up at her, the girl obviously startled and Joshua looking like a dear caught in someone's head lights. "Kathryn what are you doing here? I thought you weren't suppose to get out-" 

"Three o'clock" she said keeping her voice calm. 

He glanced down at his watch and muttered a curse under his breath. Apparently time had gotten away from him. "Baby I'm sorry, I know I told you I'd meet you at your place." 

"Well you obviously had your hands full." Kathryn looked to the red head still straddling Joshua and explained "I'm Kathryn by the way, Joshua's girlfriend." 

The girl looked quickly to Joshua and spat "girlfriend? I thought you broke up with her?" 

"Not quite" Kathryn told her before turning on her heels and exiting the bedroom. As soon as she entered the hallway the cool visage she had been putting up melted away and she suddenly wanted to scream. Not only had Joshua refuse to pick her up so he could go fuck some girl, he was also telling people he broke up with her. It was all like some surreal dream she couldn't seem to wake up from. 

Just as Kathryn was heading down the stairs Joshua came up behind her and pulled her around to face him. "Look I'm sorry but it's not what you think?" 

"Oh which part?" she hissed "the part where you lied to me about a meeting? Or you blowing me off to fuck that girl or perhaps the fact that we broke up and apparently I'm the last to know about it? Tell me Joshua what part did I fucking misinterpret?!" 

Pulling her towards him he ordered "keep your voice down. I'm sorry Katie I didn't mean for you to walk in on that but I didn't lie to you. Alice is a friend of mine from Yale and she came up to visit me for a few days. We ended up screwing around which is why I didn't make it to your place." 

Kathryn stepped closer to him and demanded "why did you tell her we broke up?" 

He shrugged "she saw the picture of you I had in my dorm room. I wanted to get laid so I told her we broke up it was as simple as that. Now you can be pissed at me all you want but remember our arrangement. We're both allowed to screw whomever we want so long as the other person doesn't have a problem with it. If you don't want me to see Alice any more I won't." Kathryn didn't respond she simply glared at him coldly causing Joshua to shift uncomfortably. "Kathryn?" 

"Do you love me?" 

"What?" he exclaimed obviously surprised. 

"You heard me" Kathryn reiterated "do you love me? It's not fucking rocket science, a simple yes or no with suffice." 

She watched him then and knew even before he opened his mouth what the truth was. Joshua didn't love her, he never had. He might have cared for her but it wasn't love and he knew it. Kathryn realized then he might have loved some one, once upon a time but it hadn't been her. Now she stood before him, her heart breaking as she watched him try to think of something to say that wasn't those three little words but would satisfy her all the same. "Katie what we have it's not about romantic declarations. You and I are above such things." 

She smiled sadly and told him "you weren't above such things when you were with Annette." 

"What?" 

Kathryn shook her head "this is over with." 

Without waiting for his response she walked down the stairs and headed for the door but Joshua wasn't about to let her walk out on him so easily. "What do you mean this is over with?" he roared. "You can't just walk out on me Katie!" 

"Watch me" she called over her shoulder. 

"This is because of him isn't it?" 

She stopped and turned to face him "who?" 

"Who?" he mocked in a high pitched voice. "You know damn well who, Valmont." 

Kathryn considered this a moment before she replied "yes he's partly the reason." 

"I knew it!" 

"The truth is Joshua I've been deluding myself about our relationship for years. You see three years ago I fell in love with you and I thought you felt the same way but you didn't. I mean how could you when you were in love with someone else? You couldn't have her so you turned to me and I happily became the perfect girlfriend for you telling myself all along that, that was exactly what I wanted. Cold, calculating, sexy, worshipping and best of all I'd let you fuck who you wanted." 

"I never made you do anything you didn't want to" he sneered. 

"No you didn't" she agreed "I happily went along with it because I was so in love with you it didn't matter I was sacrificing myself in the process." 

A smile came over Joshua's face as he strut up to her and gently caressed her face. "Katie" he murmured in that soft silky voice she use to crave so much "you and I are perfect together and like you just said, you are in love with me. Nothing is as powerful as that." 

"Except one thing" leaning into him she brought her mouth up to his ear and whispered "I love _him_ more." 

Kathryn turned away from Joshua and once again started to leave but he grabbed her by the arms and pulled her back. Clutching her body to his he hissed against her skin "are you honestly stupid enough to throw away everything we have for him? He's an idiotic infatuation Kathryn, he only wants you because you belong to someone else. Give it a week and he'll be chasing after some other little school girl." 

Struggling in his grasp she spat "everything we have? We have shit! You make me miserable Joshua but Sebastian on the other hand makes me happy. He loves me, even though I gave him every reason in the world not to. I don't have to beg and scheme just to get his attention all I have to do is say the word and I'm his which is exactly what I plan on doing." 

Joshua pulled her even closer and snickered "it will never last and even if you do manage to hold on to him for a week or so you'll loose everything Katie, I'll make sure of it. Your friends, your status and even your precious leadership position at the tribunal." 

Breaking from his grasp Kathryn pushed him away roughly. Shaking her head in disgust at the man she once thought she loved she yelled "I don't care! Fuck the position, fuck the tribunal, and fuck you!" 

She didn't turn back once as she walked out on him. Stepping out into the sunlight Kathryn smiled. Her future suddenly seemed so much brighter. 

****** 

"What member of the wedding party are you?" the well dressed older woman asked primly as Kathryn entered the Valmont living room. 

She looked curiously past the woman towards the people gathered obviously going through the rehearsal for the soon to be wedding. As she searched for Sebastian she explained distractedly "I'm not, I'm just here to see a friend." 

"Oh, very well then" she turned away disinterestedly and headed back to the others. 

Kathryn stepped further into the room and as she did only a few people seemed to notice her arrival. Once of those people was Sebastian who looked over at her blankly. It wasn't exactly the reaction she had hoped for but she realized this might be somewhat of an up hill battle seeing as how she treated him the last time they spoke. When she saw him she had to contain the sudden juvenile urge to run up to him and throw her arms around his neck. 

Instead she approached him calmly and asked "can we talk a minute-alone." 

Sebastian looked down at her and for a second she thought he might refuse. It was slightly embarrassing when a few members of the wedding party glanced over at them, probably assuming she was just another one of his cast off's. Sebastian might have realized their attention too which is why he made her wait. Finally he sighed "all right." 

He walked past her and lead her back to his bedroom with Kathryn took as a good sign. Once the door was shut behind them he walked over to his desk and leaned against it. "What do you want?" he asked coldly. 

Not sure quite how to begin Kathryn decided to try flirting with him in an effort to make him soften towards her. She moved closer to him and teasingly tugged on his silk tie. "You look nice" she purred "I like the suit but I think I'd like it more on the floor." 

To her amazement Sebastian didn't even acknowledge her overtures. Instead he repeated "what do you want?" 

Kathryn sighed as she took a step back and explained "I came to apologize for the way I treated you in the hospital. I didn't want to be cruel but it was the only way to make you leave. What you said to me...you weren't exactly wrong. In fact I realized how right you were." She waited a beat before revealing "me and Joshua broke up." 

Sebastian did flinch at this but then he quickly looked to the ground. "What does that have to do with me?" 

"What does it have to do with you?" she parroted back. "It has everything to do with you!" 

"So Joshua dumps you and I'm expected to be your what, consolation prize?" 

Kathryn's eyes narrowed at him as she replied "first off he didn't dump me it was the other way around. Second I know you still love me. You can be angry at me all you want but you can't deny that. We belong together Sebastian." 

He stared blankly back at her and repeated her vicious words back to her. "Are you done?" When she pulled back from him he explained in a bored drawl "I have to get this rehearsal thing over with and then I have a friend coming over. I don't think she'd appreciate you being here so can you leave?" 

Kathryn glanced over at his bed and then back at him not sure what to say. She wanted to tell him she loved him and that no matter how cold he was to her she knew he felt the same way. Before she could say any of this though Sebastian rolled his eyes in irritation and stormed past her out of the room. He left so quickly she didn't even have a chance to get the words out. 

Watching helplessly as the door closed behind him Kathryn fell back onto the bed. "I love you" she whispered. It was too little too late. 

****** 

When school resumed the following Monday Kathryn found herself walking the halls in a perennial fog. All morning she hadn't been able to concentrate, her thoughts continued to remain on Sebastian and the mess she had made of things. After she had left his house she attempted to call him but he apparently was screening her calls. She had looked for him at school but he was nowhere to be found. It was as if he had dropped off the face of the earth and out of her life for good. 

To top it off the miserable day she was already having, Kathryn was suppose to deliver a sermon on the merits of abstinence this afternoon before most of the school. Besides which it was a topic she had no interest in she couldn't seem to focus enough to write the damn speech. Sitting on one of the benches outside the library she once again tried to perfect her opening sentence only this time the tip of the pencil snapped and broke. 

"Mother fucker" she hissed tossed the writing instrument to the ground in disgust. 

As soon as it cluttered to the ground a dark skinned hand reached out and picked it up. "Whoa now you might want to keep the swear words to a minimum" Marcus advised "or at the very least don't scream them in public. We wouldn't want our illustrious headmaster to get the wrong idea about his favorite student." 

"Oh fuck Hardgrove" she spat. "I'll say whatever the fuck I want and don't you dare start giving me orders." 

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning" he teased taking a seat beside her. "Care to tell me what's wrong?" 

Snatching the pencil back from him Kathryn tried to use the now dull end to write. She really wished Marcus would go away seeing as she was in no mood to share but she knew he wouldn't. He had this annoying little need to know everyone's business especially hers. Usually she found this amusing but today it just annoyed her. 

Five minutes past before she finally revealed "Joshua and I broke up." 

"You're kidding?" Kathryn answered him with a stone cold hard look that told him she wouldn't kid about such matters. Giving her a somewhat sympathetic smile he said "I'm sorry, I knew you really loved him." 

Kathryn nearly threw the pencil yet again but she contained herself. "You're not sorry" she snarled "you hated Joshua and for the record it was I who broke up with HIM." 

"Well for the record I think it was the right decision. That asshole never deserved you to begin with." Marcus gently caressed her hair as he asked "what happened?" 

Feeling the need to rid him of that simpering sympathetic tone she shrugged casually and said "I think he's still in love with you girlfriend." He pulled away from her then and gave her a stony look. Kathryn looked up at him and rolled her eyes, "I didn't say she loved him back! Besides it wasn't the only reason." 

"Oh?" 

As if on cue Kathryn looked up just as Sebastian past them. They made brief eye contact before Sebastian looked away from her and turned in the other direction. Marcus having observed this exchange muttered "I see. Have you told him about Joshua?" 

"Yes" she muttered watching Sebastian's back as he walked down he hallway "he was less than interested." 

"Well what did you expect?" 

"I expected him to be pleased" 

"Pleased?" he repeated incredulously. "After what you said to him?" 

Kathryn whipped her head around to face him "he told you about our discussion?" 

"Yes apparently I know more about your so called relationship than either of you do" he snickered. 

"Perhaps you should worry about your own and but out of mine" she suggested. 

"Perhaps" 

Marcus got up from the bench and started to leave but Kathryn grabbed his hand and pulled him back. Turning to him she asked "okay so what am I suppose to do? How do I make him like me again?" 

He smiled at her and replied "he already likes you Kathryn, point of fact he loves you but he's not going to admit to any of this until you get over yourself and tell him how you really feel." 

"Yeah I tried to last night and it didn't work" 

"Well you're going to have to keep trying. The boy put his heart on the line for you and you broke it. You want him back? You're going to have to be willing to be vulnerable in front of him, no matter the cost." 

Kathryn turned her nose up at this idea. "So what I have to make an ass out of myself to get him back? I don't see that happening in the near future." 

Marcus was about to reply when he looked past Kathryn to the person who was standing beside her. She turned around and found Amanda one of Isabel Kennedy's little cronies looking somewhat impatient and annoyed. "What do you want?" Kathryn barked. 

The girl shoved a piece of paper into her hand and explained curtly "Isabel told me to give this to you." 

Without another word the girl marched back down the hall. Kathryn considered the note a moment before unfolding it to find Isabel delicate penmanship. 

_Kathryn,_

__

_Meet me in the boiler room at 1:00. If you don't show I promise you won't like the repercussions_

__

_Isabel_

__

With a heavy sigh Kathryn crumpled the note into her fist and asked "what now?" 

****** 

The boiler room underneath Manchester Prep wasn't exactly one of Kathryn favorite hang out spots. It was dirty and grimy not to mention loud and cramp. However she had made the special trek down there in order to find out just what Isabel was up to. If it had been anyone else who asked to meet her down there (except possibly Sebastian) she would have quickly refused but seeing as Isabel had a tendency to be a formidable opponent when she chose to Kathryn decided not to ignore her request. 

"I had a feeling you'd show" Isabel's nasty high pitched voice called out to her. 

Kathryn rolled her eyes but followed the sound of her voice. She found the girl around the corner standing next to a small TV/VCR that was on a wheel able cart. She eyed the equipment cautiously wondering how Isabel managed to sneak that down and what exactly she planned on doing with it. "Yeah I got your note" Kathryn hissed chuckling the crumpled piece of paper at her. "What's with the TV?" 

"Oh is little Miss Perfect worried? You should be" she snickered. 

"Cut the shit Isabel!" Using her fake sweet voice she said "or else I might have to report you for stealing school equipment." 

The girl didn't even flinch. "Go right ahead, but if you do understand I'll have to show them this." 

Pulling a videotape out from her jacket she put it into the VCR and hit play. Kathryn watched the monitor as a black and white image displayed too people having sex in what looked like an elevator. Her throat suddenly became dry when she realized who those two people were. "Where did you get that?" she demanded. 

Isabel grinned obviously quite pleased she asked. "When Sebastian left my room that night I followed him to the elevator and saw him get on with you. Since it took quite awhile to get to it's desired location it wasn't difficult to imagine what you too were doing in there. I stopped by the security office at the hotel and nice officer Fred was very happy to hand me over the tape from the security camera." 

"Oh I can just imagine what you had to do to get that tape" 

She shot her a dirty look and then turned back to the monitor. "Oh wait here's my favorite part." Isabel shut up long enough to hear Sebastian call Kathryn a slut then walk out on her. She cringed at the memory but Isabel just ate it up. "Wow that was cold even by Valmont's standards. I guess you don't mean as much to him as you thought." 

Kathryn reached out and hit the stop button then demanded "what do you want?" 

"Many things actually" 

"Narrow it down" 

"Okay well then what I want is Sebastian" 

Tossing back her head Kathryn laughed "good luck with that!" 

"Shut up" Isabel ordered. "I want Sebastian and you're going to help me get him." 

That brought her laughter to a quick halt. Glaring at the blond she demanded "and just how the hell am I suppose to do that?" 

"Well you're a clever girl Kathryn and something tells me if you're desperate enough you can make just about anything happen." 

She considered this only a moment before replying "no way." 

Kathryn started to leave when Isabel, who was a lot stronger than she looked pulled her back. "You don't seem to get it. If you refuse I'll run this tape during your little no-sex speech. Imagine the student body president and all around good girl being exposed for the whore she is. Can you just imagine what a scandal like that could do to your stellar reputation. Are you willing to risk it Kathryn?" 

"It would destroy me" she whispered looking down at the ground. 

"Yeah I imagine it would." Grabbing her by the face Isabel forced Kathryn to look at her inquired "so what's it going to be?" 

****** 

Of all the places to discuss sex the Manchester cathedral had to be the strangest. The sentiment seemed to be shared as the bulk of the student body entered into the building and slowly got seated in the pews. All throughout the crowd there was a low murmur of voices and a few nervous giggles. The fact that the words condoms or safe sex might be mentioned in church was too weird to be missed which was why nearly everyone showed up. 

"I can't believe daddy agreed to hold this in church" Annette remarked as she took a seat in the third row from the front. 

Sitting down beside her Marcus asked "agreed?" 

"Yeah apparently reverend Price thought if it was held in church the students would take it more seriously and not be prone to yell out inappropriate remarks." 

Just then one of the more brazen boys from the back yelled out "COCK!" 

"Good plan" Marcus remarked. The couple laughed as they watched Reverend Price get up to the podium and scour the crowd furiously for the outspoken student. 

One student who was now laughing however was Kathryn who stood beside the headmaster and looked out at the students. Normally almost no one attended these stupid things. It was just her luck that today of all days the whole fucking school showed up. 

"Kathryn are you ready?" 

She turned to headmaster Hardgrove and nodded "yes of course." 

As he went up to the podium and announced her Kathryn noticed Isabel sitting ahead of Marcus and Annette. She gave Kathryn a dirty look then smiled maliciously at her. That little bitch was going to pay for what she was putting her through if it was the last thing she did. 

"Please welcome your student body president Kathryn Merteuil!" 

Just as expected she was met with thunderous applause from her peers and only a few snickers. Approaching the podium with all her typical ease Kathryn smiled graciously. "Thank you Headmaster Hardgrove. I would like to welcome everyone to what promises to be a very informative and helpful seminar on the values of remaining true to one's self and remaining abstinent. I know that in these times it's easy to get..." 

She trailed off when out of the corner of her eye she spotted Sebastian sitting in one of the pews on her left. He wasn't suppose to be here Kathryn thought to herself as panic began to rise up within in. Sebastian never comes to these things so just what the fuck was he doing here now? She realized she was staring at him and that people were starting to notice. Quickly Kathryn collected herself and smiled as she repeated "I know that in these times it's easy to get caught up in the allure of sex but it's important to realize we don't always have to give into temptation." 

As Kathryn's speech continued on Sebastian watched her intently just as he had during that assembly at the beginning of the year. He had just met her then and already he was fascinated by her. He had no way of knowing at the time the huge impact that girl would make in his life. Sometimes he wished he had never met her all. 

He knew that wasn't true but it felt better to pretend he meant it. As much s he hated to admit it Sebastian still very much loved Kathryn no matter how much he pretended other wise. The only reason he bothered showing up for the stupid seminar or whatever she called it was so he could see her. He wasn't even paying attention to what she was saying he was just...watching her. 

It gave Sebastian a slight thrill when she stopped mid sentence and acknowledged his presence. Kathryn looked completely stunned to see him there but he wasn't sure why. Sebastian got his answer when a few minutes later the rear screen projector behind Kathryn began to play a black and white video of two people having sex. 

This was met by only few hushed whispers and most people seemed to believe it had to do with the presentation. Then a loan voice in the crowd yelled out "holy fuck that's Kathryn!" 

Everyone became silent for a moment and then like a damn bursting a sudden uproar of chatter and laughter. Immediately the headmaster and the reverend went into a tizzy trying to find out where the VCR was located so they could shut it off. As they did this someone else yelled out "it's Valmont!" 

"Oh my god it's Sebastian!" 

Sebastian's realized then it was a security camera tape from the elevator. Normally someone broadcasting his sexually activities might have been amusing to him but now it just made him nauseous, especially since that wasn't exactly one of his proudest moments. He looked to Kathryn and was shocked to find her not freaking out but rather standing at the podium calm but helpless. 

"This is disgusting" Annette said to Marcus. "Who the hell would broadcast that? Sebastian?" 

Marcus looked over at his friend who was starting up at Kathryn sympathetically. "No it wasn't Sebastian" he assured her. 

"Well I'm putting an end to this. I hate Kathryn but this is too much" she told him as she got to her feet and headed over to her father to help search for the video equipment. 

As the crowd was now hooting and hollering, obviously enjoying the show the headmaster ordered "quiet down! Now I want to know what is the meaning of this!" 

"Isn't it obvious headmaster?" Isabel rose to her feet and slowly began to approach Kathryn a predator like grin on her face as she continued. "Our student body president it a complete fraud. I mean here she stands preaching to us about abstinence when she goes off and fornicates with some guy who's not even her boyfriend." 

Kathryn would have given anything in that moment to tell smack that superior look off of Isabel's face. However she didn't want to make things even worse than they all ready were. As it was the Headmaster was glaring over at her obviously at least a little in agreement with what Isabel was saying. Kathryn was about to offer up an apology when Sebastian called out "shut the fuck up Isabel!" 

Isabel's turned her attention to him and snarled "how sweet defending a girls honor! That has to be a first for you Valmont." 

"Mr. Valmont please sit down" the headmaster asked. 

Kathryn felt a sweet tinge of elation when Sebastian defended her. Their eyes locked and she suddenly forgot all about her reputation going down the drain and the little bitch who caused her downfall. All she cared about was the fact that Sebastian defended her. He didn't hate her. 

"Ms. Merteuil? Kathryn?" Hardgrove called to her trying to get her attention. "Do you have anything to say to this?" 

When she didn't answer him Isabel huffed "see she's not even the least bit apologetic about it. Headmaster Hardgrove Kathryn in a fraud. She's a complete disgrace to the student body president position. She talks about remaining true to one's self but it's all garbage. She's in love with one boy and sleeps with another, at a school function no less. Therefor as a member of student council I would like to ask that she be removed as president. It's obvious that she has no respect for- 

"Oh just shut up already Isabel!" Kathryn yelled suddenly causing the whole church to fall into complete stunned silence. However she didn't care. All she knew was that if she had to listen to Isabel's voice one minute longer she would kill someone. "Everyone knows you're after the student body president position just as you're after everything else that's mine including Sebastian. But to go so far as to blow some middle aged security guard just to get that fucking tape, even I never thought you were that ambitious! I'm impressed! So tell you what if you want the damn position so bad fine, you can have it! I quit! Now don't get too excited you miserable little cunt, because when they discover it was really you behind this stunt and you were blackmailing me I have a feeling your time in office won't be for long!" 

Isabel stared at her completely slack jawed but Kathryn barely noticed. Looking over to Sebastian who was standing in the isle watching the scene play out she smiled at him. Her voice losing the icy edge she told her "you were wrong about one thing however. I very much am in love with that boy I was sleeping with." 

Sebastian smiled up at her, his face full of awe and love. In that moment he knew there was nothing in the world he wouldn't do for her. He belonged to her in every sense of the word. 

Quickly making her way off the podium Kathryn headed down to him and grabbed his hand. As the crowd began to whisper and a few people cheered she told him "okay I think now would be a good time to make our exit." 

"I know just the place" he told her as he led her down the isle. 

- to be continued (Please Review) 


	12. Welcome To the Dark Side

**The Tribunal**

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**Summary: Kathryn and Sebastian attend his fathers wedding and later a tribunal meeting will decide Kathryn's fate as leader.**

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**Authors Note: Okay so here's the deal, since I only have a few more chapters to go on this story I'm going to concentrate on this fic before updating Trip On Love. I will update tribunal again this weekend (or Monday) and then finish it during the week. Trip on Love will be updated again probably next weekend. Sorry for the delay but I want to get at least one story finished.**

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**Chapter 12: Welcome To the Dark Side**

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****"I don't know about you but I'm experiencing a serious case of deja vu" Kathryn sighed as she stretched her body out across the king sized bed. 

"I should hope so" Sebastian snickered as he reappeared from the bathroom. Slowly he crawled towards her on the bed, a lascivious grin on his handsome face. "It was after all the first place I" he pushed her supple thighs apart and thrust his body between Kathryn's legs as he finished, "had you." 

Sebastian bent down to kiss her but Kathryn stopped him. "Had me? You never had me." 

"Well I do now." Kathryn gave him one of her blinding smiles as she allowed him to kiss her. 

The morning following the incident at school the new couple was hiding out at Sebastian's suite at the Four Season's. The very same suite where they shared their first sexual encounter. A fact Kathryn hadn't even realized until the following morning. In her defense though they had been quite busy the night before with other things. 

As Sebastian moved away from her mouth and started planting soft kisses on her neck. Kathryn wondered why on earth she ever denied her feelings for him for so long. If she had just admitted months ago, after they first got together, that she wanted him, if she had just left Joshua then, image all the pain she could have avoided. Not to mention the thirty stitches in her stomach. 

Watching him intently as he kissed his way down her body Kathryn wondered if he was as happy as she was. Joshua's words echoed back to her causing her to question if she really was just another conquest to him. Sebastian loved her and she knew it but in the back of her head Kathryn pondered if that was enough. There was his reputation to consider after all. Could he really give that up in favor of being faithful to one girl? She then began thinking of all the other girls who laid in that bed with him before her. Had they loved him too? 

"Sebastian how many girls have you had in this bed?' 

He stopped his movements just long enough to look up at her. "I don't know I never took inventory. How many guys have visited your bed?" When she answered him with a strong glare he teased "ballpark? Fifty, sixty, or are we talking triple digits?" 

Kathryn responded by giving him a sharp kick on the back of the legs. Sebastian winced in pain while she got out from under him knowing a retaliation was on its way. Sebastian acted quickly and dove on top of her. Laughing Kathryn pushed him off and straddled his lap. Grabbing him by the wrists she pinned him to the bed and demanded "are you insinuating that I'm a slut?" 

He laughed "oh I wasn't insinuating anything. I was merely stating that I-" 

Kathryn pressed her finger to his mouth silencing him. "Watch it Valmont, you wouldn't want to say something you'd regret." 

Sebastian opened his mouth to speak again but stopped short of saying anything. Instead he grabbed Kathryn by the back of her legs and promptly flipped her over onto her back. Resuming his position on top all humor vanished from his face a he said quietly "I was merely stating that I would never refer to you in such a manor again." 

Kathryn's jovial smile soon fell and was replaced by a softer more serene appearance. "Good" she replied pulling him back down to her mouth. 

The foreplay ended there as Sebastian's movements became more aggressive toward her and his kisses harder. Kathryn opened her eyes and watched him as they kissed. She smiled at the pained look of pleasure on his face. He was just dying to get back inside her and Kathryn was happy to grant him that wish. 

Reaching down she pulled her panties away with Sebastian's assistance. A moment later his boxers were joining the rest of his clothes on the floor. With one hand underneath her silk camisole kneeing her breast the other hand caressed her mound. Kathryn let out a soft groan of impatience "come on." 

"Relax" he whispered back to her as he slid in between her legs and slowly inserted himself inside of her. "Just relax." 

Kathryn tried her best but her body tensed as he entered her and she was eager for him to move. However Sebastian surprised her by remaining perfectly still. It was a new sensation to feel him inside of her still, but throbbing and stretching her in such a way that made her whole body tingle. As he bent down and began playing with her breasts Kathryn used her inner muscles to squeeze around his girth. His jaw clenched and he uttered a soft curse under his breath before ever so gently starting to move inside her. Sebastian rocked against her all the while keeping one set of fingers pressing her clitoris as the others gently caressed the back of her neck. As these new sensations flooded through her body Kathryn let out soft moans and whimpers of pleasure. 

"I'm almost there" he whispered in her ear, moving gently inside of her as if he was afraid he'd hurt her. 

"S-so am I" she stuttered "oh god Sebastian." 

"I wanna cum inside you." 

Her brain was barely functioning enough to form words but she was able to consent, "do it." 

"Your mine" he growled as he began to shudder and come inside her "now and always." 

It was with those last words Kathryn also came, quivering as her orgasm hit her. Sebastian still buried inside her body collapsed on top of her. She hugged him to her letting her fingers play in his hair. They laid like that for awhile just listening to each other catch their breath. Sebastian at last broke the silence. "I love you, you know." 

"I know" she whispered. Kathryn didn't say it back to him, she felt embarrassed for some reason. Even though Sebastian and her had become closer than they'd been the last few weeks she still wasn't quite ready to be that vulnerable in front of him yet. 

Kathryn thought he would get angry at this but if he was upset he hid it. Instead he surprised her by saying "I was proud of you yesterday. What you did at the church." 

"Proud?" she repeated with a soft chuckle. "That has to be a first." 

Sebastian looked up at her "I mean it Kathryn. It took a lot of balls to stand up for yourself in front of Isabel and the whole school." He snickered "I'm still reeling over the fact that you called her a cunt in front of Hardgrove. I thought he was going to faint when the word came out of your mouth." 

Kathryn sighed "yeah well, we'll see how brave I am come Monday morning. I'm going to be kissing that losers ass for weeks just to keep him from tossing me out." 

"You could have just given into Isabel's demands" 

"Right and spend the rest of the school year answering to her every whim? I think now. Besides I'm quite pleased with the way things turned out." 

Tracing patterns on her flat stomach Sebastian noted solemnly "you sacrificed a lot. Your reputation, student body president position, Joshua. If you wanted you could change your mind, about us I mean." 

Kathryn's brow crinkled in concern "is that what you want?" 

"Of course not but I do want you to be happy." 

"I am" she whispered. "Perhaps for the first time in my life I'm truly happy." 

Looking down at her he asked "what about the tribunal?" 

With a small hopeful smile she suggested "you could always join..." 

He laughed "I'd do anything for you...but you're on your own with that. Are you worried Joshua is going to make trouble for you with them?" 

Thinking back Kathryn remembered Joshua's warning to her. There was no doubt in her mind he wouldn't act on it. Joshua was most definitely ruthless and vindictive enough to try and hurt her for leaving him. Kathryn knew all this but didn't say a word of it to Sebastian. He would just tell her to leave the tribunal and she didn't want to do that. It was as much a part of her as he was and she didn't want to give either of them up. 

"Kathryn?" Sebastian called to her waking her from her thoughts. 

She smiled at him "no I don't foresee any problems." 

Sebastian looked less than convinced as he leaned back on his elbow and considered her a moment. "You know you never did tell me what happened between you and Joshua." 

No she hadn't and she really had no desire to rehash it with him. Instead of going into the whole story of the other girl and his threats Kathryn explained "when I got out of the hospital I kept thinking about what you say to me. That if I truly loved Joshua I never would have gone to bed with you. You were right I just didn't want to believe it." She snickered softly "I've been deluding myself for years about my relationship with Joshua. It was never a relationship it was just sex with a title. This, what I have with you is a relationship. I tried to tell you that the other day..." 

"I'm sorry about that" he sighed "I was just really angry and I didn't want to listen to anything you had to say." 

Kathryn nodded "so who was the girl?" 

"Girl?" 

"Yes the one who you kicked me out for." 

"Oh" he grinned "there was no girl. I actually spent most of the night drinking myself into a stupor." 

She smiled faintly "what a coincidence, I did the same" 

Sebastian laughed "yeah well it was that or help prepare for that damn...oh FUCK!!!" 

Kathryn sat up startled as he got off the bed and started tearing around the room. "What? What's wrong?" 

"The wedding!" he yelled as he began putting his boxers back on. "The fucking wedding is today! I completely forgot." 

Glancing at the small clock on the bedside table she asked "what time does it start?" 

Sebastian picked up his Rolex and then tossed it to the ground in disgust. "Fifteen minutes! God if I'm not there my father is going to kill me or worse yet send me back to my mother." 

"I thought you wanted to go back to Europe?" 

He stopped his frantic movements and strode back over to her. Cupping her face he told her "the only place I want to be is with you." 

Kathryn smiled as he bent down and kissed her and then once again started to draw her down towards the bed. "Uh, Sebastian" she pushed him back up right and reminded him "the wedding?" 

With a frustrated groan he pulled away from her and walked over to the phone. "This fucking wedding...I never should have agreed to be in it. So are you doing to come with me or what?" 

"Are you inviting me?" 

"Who else would I take?" 

Glancing down at her wrinkled clothes on the floor she sighed "I don't have anything to wear." 

"That's all right neither do I." Turning away from her Sebastian spoke into the receiver "yes, hello I need you to send up some clothes to penthouse 4. I need a tux and a dress. No, no money isn't a problem just charge it to the room. I don't know black" looking back at Kathryn he said "and for the dress, something...short" 

Kathryn hurled a pillow at him and yelled playfully "I'm not showing up at your father's wedding in some slutty dress just so you can spend the day ogling my breasts." 

Sebastian grinned at her as he said into the phone "I want something elegant, sophisticated but sexy. Yes I need it now, better yet yesterday. Okay, good I'll be waiting." As he hung up the phone he asked "better?" 

"Yes" 

"Good, now onto ogling those breasts." Sebastian walked over to her and began massaging her tits. "Very nice." 

She rolled her eyes "go get ready, we're already going to be late." 

"Fine, fine" he smiled and gave her one last kiss on the forehead before disappearing inside the bathroom. 

It was a gesture that Joshua always use to do, give her a light kiss on the forehead. Kathryn always liked it because there was something gently and intimate about it. Sebastian had done it in the past and it always reminded her of Joshua. However this time when he kissed her the only person she was thinking about was him. 

"Hey Valmont?" 

"Yeah?" he called to her from the bathroom. 

"I love you" 

There was a moment of silence before Sebastian stuck his head out the door and with his usual smug smile replied "yeah, I know." 

****** 

"Just where the hell have you been all night?" Edward Valmont demanded, his usual calm face turning red in anger as he stood before his son. "You nearly ruined my wedding!" 

Sebastian glanced around the wedding reception noticing some of the guests who were doing double takes when they got a look at how angry the groom was looking. "Relax" he advised his father. "I got there in time and everything went perfectly." 

"You walked in after the bride!" 

"But I walked in didn't I? Look you did it, you're married now, so what's the problem?" 

Edward wasn't charmed by his son's boyish smile and wasn't about to let this little miss step go so easily. Sebastian suspected the real reason his father was so tense had to do with his new ball and chain but it was easier to yell at him than acknowledge he made a mistake marrying Nina. 

Stepping closer to him Edward hissed "Sebastian I'm not just going to forget about this little mishap and I know for damn sure Nina won't let me. I'm going to spend half my wedding night listening to how my son upstaged the bride. I want to know now where you were and it better be good. I still have those brochures to that military school in Vermont and don't think-" 

"I'm sorry Mr. Valmont by I'm afraid I'm to blame for Sebastian's tardiness" Kathryn suddenly appeared besides Sebastian wearing a sweet as apple pie smile she was famous for scaming most of Manchester with. Looping her arm around her date's she explained "you see Sebastian picked me up for the wedding and well...you know how us girls are, it took me forever. Sebastian kept ushering me to hurry up but I just thought he was being impatient. It really is all my fault we were so late, I had no idea the time. I'm so terribly sorry." 

Kathryn was appearing so sweet and charming no man on earth could even try to resist her. Luckily for Sebastian his father was one of those men. Looking over Kathryn appreciably, his eyes wandering towards her breasts for a bit longer than necessary Edward smiled gallantly "well don't be ridiculous dear, it was a simple mistake and no harm was done." 

"Oh thank you" she beamed. "Sebastian always talked about how generous and kind his father is but I had no idea." 

Sebastian couldn't be sure but it actually looked like his father was blushing at Kathryn's compliment. Containing the urge to gag he tightened his grip on her as he introduced them. "Father this is my girlfriend Kathryn Merteuil." 

It was hard to say what Edward was more stunned over. The fact that his playboy son had an actual girlfriend or that she was a Merteuil, one of the most tony families in New York. Either way the older man was quite pleased that Sebastian for once hadn't fucked up. He might have thought the boy was simply using her as he did all his other dates but the way he looked at the pretty brunette told Edward his son for once might genuinely care for a girl. 

Just then Nina strode up to them, the end of her Vera Wang gown swishing across the ballroom floor. "Darling it's time for us to share our first dance" she instructed her new husband. "Oh hello Sebastian, glad you could make it. Do you that by showing up late you-" 

"Dear" Edward put a halt to her rant. "This is Kathryn Merteuil she's Sebastian's new girlfriend" 

"Girlfriend?" Nina repeated the disdain evident in her voice. "Well this is a first isn't it?" 

"It's nice to meet you" Kathryn replied. 

Taking Nina by the arm he told them "well we should get on with it then. It was wonderful meeting you Kathryn perhaps we can have a dance later?" 

"I would love that." 

Sebastian's father turned to leave but not before leaning in and whispering to his son "try not to fuck this up." 

He responded with a sarcastic smile as he watched his new stepmother, who was looking back at him in anger get dragged to the dance floor. Grabbing a glass of champagne off a passing waiters tray Sebastian grumbled "welcome to the family." 

"You know your fathers rather cute" 

He shot her a disgusted glare "cute? The man's a leech, didn't you notice the way he was ogling you? And you better watch it with that bullshit charm of yours around him, before you end up as wife number four." 

"Well at least you'll still get to fuck me. How many times did you sleep with that woman?" 

"Just once" he sighed "which was plenty believe me. Now can we please stop talking about my demented family? I'm going to be rid of them for three glorious weeks and I'll have the whole house to myself. If you're nice I might let you visit." 

Kathryn smiled coyly "you're assuming I want to come." 

Pulling her into his arms Sebastian whispered in her ear "ah baby you always want to cum." 

She laughed in response until her eyes noticed something, or rather someone across the room. Moving away from him, suddenly angry Kathryn demanded "what are they doing here?"  


Sebastian turned around not sure of who she meant until he caught sight of Annette and Marcus on the other side of the room dancing. With a careless shrug he explained "I invited them." 

"Why? I thought you hated Annette?" 

He smiled "no that's you who hate Annette. I could give a shit about her one way or the other. My father told me I could invite a few people and seeing as I thought I'd have no one to talk to outside of my fathers boring friends I invited Marcus." Noticing Kathryn's annoyed reaction he asked "what's the matter, you don't like Marcus anymore?" 

"No of course not, it's his little date I have a problem with" she replied sharply. 

Steering Kathryn in the opposite direction Sebastian suggested "then we'll just ignore them. Besides I was planning on ditching this party in a few minutes anyway." 

"Won't your father be angry?" 

"Probably" he answered with a mischievous smile. "I'm going to go see if I can go snag us a bottle of the good champagne from the bartender. I'll be right back, try not to get into any fights while I'm gone." 

While he darted off in the other direction Kathryn attempted to avoid the happy couple by heading over to their table on the other side of the dance floor. However before she could get there someone steeped into her path. "Kathryn hey" Jen Robert's greeted her with the usual too eager to please smile of hers. 

Annoyed at the mere presence of another one of Sebastian's conquests she demanded "what are you doing here? Don't tell me Sebastian invited you." 

"Oh no, no my mom is friends with the brides cousin" she babbled. "But you must have come with Sebastian I mean after what happen in the-" 

"Yeah I'm his date" she interrupted. "Was there something you wanted Jennifer?" 

The girl looked slightly hurt at how she was being addressed. Her brown eyes going dark she replied "yeah I just wanted to say I'm sorry, you know about what's going down to night. It must be really painful to learn-" 

"What are you talking about?" 

"Don't you know?" When Kathryn shook her head no Jen gave her a small, almost cruel smile as she explained "well I guess you'll find out soon enough." 

Without another word Jen passed by her and joined a group of women gathered around the bride. Kathryn wanted to march up to her and demand a further explanation but she didn't want to cause a scene. Instead she was left to ponder what she meant by "you'll find out soon enough." Since the only connection between the girls was the tribunal she assumed it had something to do with that. This sent her nerves on high alert. Nothing should be going down with the tribunal without her knowing about it, nothing. 

Storming off to the bathroom Kathryn entered and whipped out her cell phone. She was about to make some calls to find out what was going on when she was stopped by the sound of someone throwing up. Kathryn turned up her nose at the disgusting sound and started to leave when she heard a toilet flush. She was shocked when a moment later Annette walked out of the stall. Judging by the look on blondies face she was just as surprised to see her standing there as well. 

"One too many glasses of champagne princess?" 

Annette rolled her eyes at Kathryn then walked over to the sink and ran some water. After splashing her face she explained "I must have eaten something bad. It was probably the shrimp or something." 

Kathryn eyed her skeptically "you're saying the Valmont's thousand dollar a plate sea food made you sick?" 

"So I have a weak stomach" Annette grumbled "why do you care?" 

"I don't" she replied even though it was a lie. Kathryn momentarily forgot all about the tribunal as she wondered what really was making Annette sick. She had a pretty good theory what the real reason was, and why Annette wouldn't want to tell her the truth. However she kept her mouth shut. For now she would keep this little piece of information to herself. One never knows when you might need that ace up your sleeve. 

****** 

Sebastian was almost home free. With one arm circling Kathryn's waist and the other clutching a champagne bottle he headed for the exit of the reception. Since the party was being held at the Waldorf hotel he had taken it upon himself to get a room thinking that he and Kathryn could sneak out early and have some real fun. After nearly an hour of pretending to be cordial around his father's friends and business associates he figured it was time to make an exit. Only as per usual there was someone standing in his way. 

"Hey Kathryn we need to talk" Marcus suddenly appeared in front of them blocking the nearest exit out of the ballroom. 

Rolling his eyes in annoyance Sebastian told him "not now Marcus we're busy." 

"Ignore him" Kathryn advised her friend. She had a sneaking suspicion this might concern the tribunal. Sebastian's libido could wait a little while longer as far as she was concerned. "What's wrong?" 

Marcus expression was grave as he told her delicately "this is about business. Perhaps we should..." 

He trailed off and shot a quick glance Sebastian's way obviously indicating he did want to talk about the tribunal. Kathryn knew Sebastian would understand if she wanted to talk to Marcus alone but she didn't want to keep things from him. She trusted him and knew he would keep whatever it was private. "It's okay, tell me now." 

He nodded and led her over towards an empty table. Looking behind him she noticed Annette come up and stand beside Sebastian. The two outsiders getting to listen in, it went completely against policy and years of tradition. But at the moment rules and regulations were the last thing on Kathryn's mind. 

Marcus took a deep breath before he revealed "I think you should know, Joshua called an emergency meeting for tonight." 

"What!?" Kathryn exclaimed not caring in the slightest who over heard her outburst. "He did what?" 

"He called a-" 

"He can't do that! I'm the fucking leader. ME! He's not even involved anymore!" 

"Calm down" Marcus instructed her. As always he had a more level head than her. "Look when Joshua called me this morning and told me about it I asked him what it was about but he wouldn't give me any details. However he did tell me not to mention it to you which made me think he was planning a mutiny." 

Kathryn's eyes narrowed at him, "mutiny?" Suddenly she remembered the encounter she had with Jen earlier and everything she had been babbling on about started to make sense. "Joshua's trying to get me booted as leader." 

"Yeah it appears that way" he sighed. "I made a couple of calls and apparently Joshua's been less than discreet about his intentions. According to Todd he's going to hold a vote about weather or not to get rid of you."  


"What are the odds they'll vote in my favor?" 

Marcus's eyes looked away and then back at her before he muttered "they're not good. Joshua's been pointing out to people that your judgment has become...impaired recently and that certain things have been distracting you." 

"What things?" 

"Me" Sebastian remarked quietly. 

Kathryn met his eyes and shook her head "that's bullshit. Who I'm involved with has nothing to do with the tribunal. God damnit I knew Joshua was going to do something like this." Getting to her feet she muttered under her breath "he threatened to destroy me but I never thought he'd go this far."  


Sebastian came up behind her and placed a hand on her arm. "Why didn't you tell me he threatened you?" 

"It wasn't important" she replied. "At least I didn't think it was." He started to pull her into an embrace but Kathryn pulled away from him. She couldn't be comforted right now she needed to think and plan out her next move. 

"What are you going to do?" Annette finally spoke, asking what they'd all been thinking. 

Kathryn turned back to Marcus and asked "what _can_ I do?" 

He shrugged "I don't know, you're going to have to trump Joshua some how. Whatever it is its going to have to be big." 

"Well I'm going to that meeting tonight" 

Getting to his feet he remarked "he's going to trash you Kathryn. He's going to use every weakness against you and do everything in his power to humiliate you. I mean at this point I don't know what you could possibly do. Half the group is totally enamored with Joshua. There's no way they'll turn against him. Kathryn? Are you listening to me?" 

She had been listening to him and as he spoke Kathryn began to get the most delicious idea. Not only would it trump Joshua it would totally hit him where it hurts and he would never see it coming. All it would take was a little persuasion on her part but she didn't foresee it being too difficult. Turning back to Marcus who was regarding her with concern she smiled broadly. "I know exactly what I'm going to do." 

"Care to share it with the rest of us?" 

"You'll find out tonight." 

****** 

The games began at nine. 

Joshua had left instructions for everyone to meet at his parents townhouse that night. Sitting in her limo outside his home she looked down at her watch and counted the seconds until the large hand swept over the twelve. When it did she smiled coldly in satisfaction and then instructed the driver, "now." 

He quickly got out and opened the door for her. Stepping out into the cold November air Kathryn removed her long coat and tossed it inside. She was wearing a black dress with a dangerously low cut front and no back along with a pair of matching stiletto heels. She looked alluring and dramatic, it was the perfect outfit to make her entrance in. 

The maid let her in obviously assuming she was just another one of her employers guests. Little did she know how unwelcomed this particular guest was. Strutting towards the large parlor room where she knew everyone was gathered Kathryn threw open the double doors and didn't break her stride once as she strut up to the center of the room. Every head turned her way, every set out eyes was on her including her ex-boyfriend. 

Lounging comfortably in one of the arm chairs in front of the room, he was talking and laughing with some other members when he noticed her presence. His head shot up and he got to his feet immediately. "Kathryn" he breathed. "We weren't expecting you tonight." 

"So I gathered" she confident grin. "Don't tell me my invitation got lost in the mail?" 

Joshua smiled "no actually I think we all just assumed you'd be too busy with your boyfriend, you know holding hands, writing love letters that sort of thing." 

This was met with a few snickers from the others members but Kathryn didn't flinch. "No Joshua I think you have me confused with you and your boyfriends." 

He shook his head "no need to be juvenile Kathryn." 

"Juvenile?" she repeated. "What the hell do you call this? Calling a meeting behind my back all because I finally wised up and dumped your sorry ass? I got to tell you baby as far as payback goes this is pretty pathetic." 

"Don't flatter yourself this has nothing to do with our so called relationship. See unlike you my concern lays with the tribunal. Now I might no longer be leader-" 

"Yeah which means you don't get to call meetings or hold court" 

Joshua crossed his arms to his chest as he stared her down. "Read the bylines Katie. If the previous leader believes that his successor may be abusing his power-" 

"Abusing my power?" she hissed incredulously. "Are you out of your fucking mind? I did no such thing!" 

"Or if you're not fulfilling the position. I believe that your judgment has become impaired Kathryn and the tribunal should appoint a new leader." 

"On what grounds?" Kathryn demanded. 

Joshua laughed obviously quite pleased at her question. "Oh where do I begin? Well let's start with the Valmont situation shall we. The _boy_ poses an obvious threat to us and instead of destroying him as any good leader would you take him to bed and not only that you fall in love with him!" Strutting up to her slowly and menacingly he continued on "you let your feelings for him completely cloud your thinking. You let your power within Manchester slip, you start canceling tribunal meetings, you invite an intruder into one of our private parties and proceed to have sex with him." 

"I never-" 

"I saw the tape of you two in the pool" he told her. "Marcus showed it to me." 

Kathryn shot a look Marcus's way and his eyes darted to the floor. Joshua now standing only a few feet from her continued on his rant "Kathryn you allowed yourself to be completely humiliated in front of the entire school, a move I understand that could have been prevented. Then instead of denying involvement and pleading forgiveness you give up the student body president position!" 

Staring him dead in the eye Kathryn replied coldly "I don't plead." 

His eyebrows shot up at this and he asked "then I take it you'll give up the leadership position without a fight?" 

She laughed "not a chance. What you are doing here tonight Joshua is complete and utter bullshit and we both know it. You're jealous and pissed that I chose Sebastian over you and instead of keeping it between us you drag the tribunal into it. Tell me did you tell them about how you threatened me, how you vowed to destroy me if I didn't stay with you?" Kathryn shook her head at him in disgust "god you're pathetic. Valmont was right about you. You couldn't cut it in college so you come back here to try and relive your past victory where for a brief moment you were important. Well you're not anymore. I'm leader and I'm not about to have you come in and take that away from me!" 

"We'll see about that" he sneered at her. "The fact is Kathryn you can't dispute any of the claims against you because they're all true. You were never strong enough to be leader to begin with, hell everyone knows the only reason I gave you the position was because you were a great fuck. I made you and now I'm going to break you darling." Turning back to the crowd he called out "all those in favor of Ms. Merteuil's resignation?" 

The room erupted in clapping and a few cheers but not everyone joined in. However enough made their voice clear that she was unwelcomed. Facing her once again Joshua smiled "well there you have it." 

"I wasn't aware we ran a democracy Joshua" she scoffed. 

"Can't you see you're not wanted? Jesus Kathryn have a little self respect and leave with some dignity." 

Kathryn nodded solemnly as if defeated and turned to leave. She took a few steps towards the door before turning back to him "oh wait there was one last thing." 

Joshua looked towards her impatiently "yes, what is it?" 

"Well before you called this little meeting I took it upon myself to induct a new member. I've already gone through all the initiation steps and was going to announce it at the next meeting but apparently you beat me to the punch." 

His eyes narrowed suspiciously at her "who is it?" Before she could answer Joshua grinned and then let out a hearty chuckle "oh don't tell me you brought your little boyfriend into the fold? How incredibly predictable of you." 

Kathryn shook her head at him "don't be ridiculous Joshua, Sebastian would never join the tribunal. What with him having a mind of his own and everything. No our new member is someone else entirely. Actually if I'm not mistaken I believe you know her." 

"Her?" 

The doors behind them opened then and the new tribunal member made her entrance. 

It was Annette 

Wearing a strapless navy blue dress, with her blond hair swept up she looked decidedly more grown up and Kathryn like. Ignoring the many stares and whispers that followed her entrance Annette walked up besides Kathryn her expression cool. Upon seeing her Joshua gaped and whispered hoarsely "Annette?" 

"Hello Joshua" she greeted him. 

He didn't speak for a moment he just stared between the two girls as if not believing his eyes. At last he demanded "what is going on here?" 

"Yeah I'd like to know the answer to that too" Marcus demanded as he stepped towards the center of the room. 

Annette simply nodded to him "it's fine Marcus. This is what I want." 

Moving towards Kathryn Joshua hissed in a low voice "what the fuck are you playing here?" 

"I'll explain" she replied curtly as she pushed him aside and strode towards the front of the room. "Now can I have everyone's attention." When the room went silent she smiled and began to explain. "I know that many of you want to see me evicted from the leadership position and I know some of you don't like me which is fine. Point of fact I'm not terribly found of some of you. However none of this matters. The tribunal as you know is a way that we can all come together, pool our various resources in order to get everything we want weather it be revenge, better grades, higher level on the social ladder or hell even better seats at a Nicks game. We can accomplish anything but in order to do that we need to function as a unit and we need a leader guiding that unit. 

"As Joshua has pointed out I have been distracted lately and I have allowed my position in school to be compromised but it is hardly interfering with my duties as leader. Has the tribunal been exposed? As anyone gotten hurt, arrested or even so much as detention since I've been elected? No. The truth is I'm a fucking great leader but that has been overshadowed by our former leaders need to get revenge for his bruised ego. Rule number one of the tribunal is we're not suppose to turn against our own but he did it without so much as blinking an eye. It's only a matter of time before he does the same to one of you. 

"Any of you doubting my power can look at our new inductee as proof that I am always one step ahead and I always will be. Annette Hardgrove is not only our prestigious headmasters daughter but she is also one of the most upstanding students in the school. She's smart, beautiful, clever and will be attending Harvard in the fall. Her boyfriend is already one of us and she is also a friend of some of you. In short she is perfect for our organization. Now I have said my peace about the matter so the rest is up to you. Would you like to be left in the hands of Joshua who will soon be leaving to attend his actual school _or_ would you rather I stayed on as your leader?" 

This time the room erupted into unanimous applause as everyone got to their feet cheering and calling out her name. Kathryn confident as ever kept her emotions as bay and simply nodded. Striding over at Joshua who was regarding her with stunned disbelief she stopped in front of him and with a victorious smile told him "checkmate asshole." 

****** 

When the applause eventually died down Kathryn began to make her way around the room thanking everyone for their support. Of course they all plead that they hadn't been one of the members that voted against her but she knew otherwise. It didn't matter though, her plan had worked and not only had she gotten her position she managed to take Joshua down in the process. All in all it wasn't a bad night. 

"We need to talk" Marcus grabbed her by the arm gruffly and pulled her over towards a quiet corner. Kathryn wasn't surprised that he was angry at her but she didn't appreciate being manhandled either. As she pulled out of his grip he demanded "just what the hell do you think you're doing bringing her into the tribunal?" 

"Okay first off don't raise your voice to me like that. Second I'm the one who should be angry, in fact I am angry. What the hell we're you doing telling Joshua about Sebastian coming to the Halloween party? How did you even know about it to begin with?" 

Marcus shook his head angrily "no you don't, don't you dare turn this around on me. You did something to her Kathryn didn't you? What was it blackmail? Threats?" 

"Neither" Annette replied as she came up from behind him. Placing an arm around his back she explained softly "it was my decision Marcus, Kathryn didn't do anything." 

"Right" he scoffed "so you expect me to believe that you just decided to up and join the tribunal for the hell of it?" 

She shook her head "no, Kathryn suggested it to me. She didn't order me to or blackmail me she just told me some of the benefits. One of which was I'd get to spend more time with you, we can be even closer." 

Marcus gave Kathryn a weary glance before turning back to his girlfriend. Placing a hand on her cheek he whispered "baby it goes against everything you believe in. Now if you want to join that's great but I don't want to force you into anything just for my benefit." 

"I may not agree with everything that goes on here but it doesn't matter. The only thing I care about is you and our future." She sighed "besides which school's almost over with anyway." 

"There, see" Kathryn huffed "you should be thanking me. Now I want to know why the fuck you betrayed me?" 

"I didn't betray you" he assured her. 

"Yeah you sort of did" Annette chimed in. Turning to Kathryn she explained "it was after you blackmailed me, he was trying to get even. He showed Joshua the security camera tapes of you and Sebastian and told him he needed to come home right away. It was awhile ago and Sebastian already fought with him over it. You should just let it go." 

Kathryn cocked an eyebrow at her "is that an order?" 

"Just a suggestion" 

"You'll do well not to give me those" 

"Oh I'm sorry, what am I suppose to salute you now when I address you?" 

"If you'd like" 

"Jesus this is going to be a long school year" Marcus grumbled looking upwards. "Now all you have to do Kathryn is convince Sebastian to join. After Annette that should be a piece of cake." 

Kathryn laughed "are you kidding? Nothing short of hell freezing over would make that boy join. Which I've learned to deal with. Actually I rather like that he's not, I rather keep him to myself." It was only a minor fib but in the back on her mind Kathryn plotted how she could convince Sebastian to join them. 

Looking over to his girlfriend Marcus asked "so where did you get your mark?" 

Annette's cheery lips curled into a smirk as she shot a glance Kathryn's way then revealed "it's not exactly visible now. Later when we're alone I'll show it to you." 

Marcus looked over at Kathryn wide eyed and stunned over the prospect that she might have been branding Annette in a less than virtuous place. She merely smiled in response and gave him a shrug before turning on her heels to leave. Kathryn had enough fun for one night and she planned on going home to regale Sebastian with stories of her victory. However before she could leave Joshua appeared in front of her "going so soon?" 

"Yes I've got to be getting home. I promised Sebastian I'd come home early and fuck his brains out." 

She attempted to duck under his arm to get past him but Joshua grabbed her by the arm and forceful slammed her up against the wall. Kathryn winced at his tight grip and hissed "let go of me." 

"Do you think this is over?" he demanded. "Do you honestly think you've won?" 

"Oh wake the fuck up Joshua I have won!" Kathryn pulled out of his grasp but didn't make a move to leave just yet. "You tried to destroy me and failed miserably. Not only am I still leader but I managed to destroy the one thing you've always wanted but could never have." 

"And what's that?" 

She smiled "Annette of course. Your precious, darling, innocent little school girl is innocent no longer. I know it's her you've always been after, the one you truly loved but I could never understand her appeal. Well I did tonight. You wanted her so badly because she was innocent and pure, untouched." Kathryn laughed "well she's not anymore, if she ever was to begin with. Annette's one of us now, she's tainted and not only that...she loves Marcus. Funny I just thought it was a fling but I realize now they definitely have a future together." 

"Oh I wouldn't count on it" Joshua sneered. 

"Silly rabbit" she teased caressing his face "you never did learn how to loose gracefully." 

"Katie my love, this isn't nearly over. I'm going to make you pay dearly for what you did tonight. I can promise you that." 

She didn't flinch at his threats she just shook her head at him and replied "I'm petrified. Do your worst." 

Joshua said nothing allowing his eyes to burn into hers. Once filled with twinkling adoration they were now filled with searing hatred. The way he looked at her sent a shiver down Kathryn's body but she ignored it. With a triumphant smile she turned away from him and walked out the door. She no longer cared if he hated her or not, Joshua was now an insignificant part of her life. Everything was now perfect and no matter what he did he couldn't change that. Climbing back into her limo she instructed the driver "take me home." 

Kathryn had no way of knowing that her victory over Joshua would be short lived. He would get his revenge on her just as he promised. By the end of the night everything in Kathryn's world would change forever. 

- to be continued (Please Review) 


	13. Every Breath You Take

**The Tribunal**

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**Summary: It's a cold night in the city when all sorts of demons come out.**

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**Authors Note: Hey, remember those dark spots I referred to earlier? This is what I was talking about, be warned there's a scene of nonconsensual sex. I forgot to put this warning on another story of mine and there were complaints so there you go.**

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**There were a few questions in my reviews so I'll try to answer them.**

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**Jamie: Joshua's reasons for staying with Kathryn I believe are answered in this chapter. Why she fell so hard for him will be answered in the following chapter (Hint: why were there so many suggestions that I keep Kathryn/Joshua together to begin with?)**

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**J: I don't think Kathryn is at all ashamed by her sexuality. If anything it gives her power and as we all know she likes that. However that doesn't mean she appreciates someone calling her a slut even if it's in jest. (By the way I love Samantha too!)**

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**Chapter 13: Every Breath You Take**

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****The air that night was so cold it was as if death itself was touching down on Manhattan. 

As Annette stepped out of the Kensington townhouse she wrapped her coat tighter around her body in an effort to fight off the chilly November air. She hadn't been expecting the cold weather and she cursed herself for allowing Kathryn to talk her into wearing such a ridiculously skimpy dress. Actually she hadn't asked so much as ordered her. It was the first time in her life Annette has taken an order from her nemesis and she had a sinking feeling it wouldn't be the last. She was now an official tribunal member and that meant that now she had to follow orders. Kathryn's orders. 

Still Annette didn't regret her decision. She knew what the tribunal did and what it stood for but it honestly didn't matter anymore. High school was almost done with anyway and now her main concern was her future. New complications had arisen in her life over the past few days that made her stand back and think about what she wanted from her life. It hadn't taken Annette long to come to the conclusion that she wanted her future to be with Marcus. As such she didn't want there to be any obstacles between them and since she knew he would never drop the tribunal she had agreed to Kathryn's request to join. 

Marcus was understandably confused at her decision but she knew deep down he was happy about it. He had been smiling all night and that made Annette happy. As the night wound down she realized that perhaps it wouldn't be so bad after all. Aside from Kathryn everyone seemed rather cordial and pleased at her arrival. In fact she had even made a couple of new friends and stayed to talk with them a little longer while Marcus headed home. He offered her a ride but she had her father's car so she kissed him goodnight and they parted ways. 

Now as she wandered down the dark street towards her blue Volvo she wished she had taken him up on his offer. Annette had parked father away than she thought and it was a little spooky walking the dark street alone. As she approached her vehicle she fumbled in her purse for her keys. Just as she grasped them in her hand Annette suddenly became aware of quickly approaching footsteps from behind her. Eager to get out of the cold and now nervous about possibly impending danger she jammed the key in the lock...only it was the wrong key. 

"Damnit" she whispered under her breath. "Come on, come on open." 

Annette's hands shook as she tried to grasp the right key. It of course was the last one she tried and as she slid it into the lock she thought she was home free until she felt a cold, rough hand cover her smaller quaking ones. Annette jumped and shrieked "ah!" 

"Annette, relax it's just me." 

She turned and let out a soft sigh of relief when she saw it was only Joshua. "God you scared me" she told him breathlessly. "What are you doing sneaking up on me like that?"  


"I'm sorry I didn't mean to scare you but I needed to talk to you." 

Joshua wasn't wearing a coat but he didn't appear to be bothered by the cold. He did however seem quite anxious which was odd for him. To Annette it always seemed he was the picture of calm and cool but now as she looked at him he almost seemed frantic in his appearance. "Joshua what's wrong?"  


"I needed to talk to you alone" he explained. 

"Okay what is it?" 

"I wanted to apologize for what Kathryn has done." 

Annette looked up at him in confusion as she repeated "what she's done? Joshua Kathryn hasn't done anything to me. Well not recently anyway. Is this about what happened tonight?" 

"Yes of course it is!" he exclaimed startling her slightly. When he noticed her tense up he apologized yet again, "I'm sorry it's just I can't believe she would go so far to use you like that." 

"Well" she laughed "it's hardly the first time but she really didn't use me. I wanted to join the tribunal." 

Joshua took a step back from her as a look of disbelief washed over his face. "You wanted to join? Why? It's not who you are, the tribunal. You're better then those people in there Annette." 

"No I'm not" she told him. "I may not agree with all their views on things but I'm not as different from them as you think. Look the truth is I joined because of Marcus." 

He snickered "I knew it. He pressured you to join didn't he?" 

"No! No one pressured me to join!" she yelled at him feeling frustrated by his line of questioning. They might be friends but he had no right to demand answers the way he was. "I love Marcus and I wanted to be with him." 

"Marcus" he spat with disgust "you can't really love him. I mean you two come from completely different worlds." 

Annette gawked at him in shock before asking him a dangerously low voice "are you insinuating because he's black I shouldn't be with him because if you are this conversation is finished." 

"No of course not" he replied in a tone that was hardly convincing. "It's just that I don't think you've thought this whole thing through." 

"Trust me I have. I love Marcus but their other factors I have to think about as well." 

"Such as?" 

Avoiding his eyes Annette told him primly "it's really none of your business Joshua. Now if you're done interrogating me I have to get going home." 

"Wait a second" he grabbed her arm and with sudden force spun her back around to face him. His face twisting in anger Joshua demanded "what about me?" 

Trying to pull out of his grasp she asked "what do you mean?" 

His expression softening he whispered "I love you Annette, I always have. No matter what you say I know deep down you feel the same way."  


"Joshua I care about you-as a friend. You know that but I'm not in love with you. How could I be when I-" 

Taking his hands off of her abruptly he pushed her back against the car and sneered "friends? You just want to be friends? God where have I heard that before?" 

Annette knew he was referring to that night three years ago when after she found him kissing Kathryn she broke up with him. The ironic thing was Annette had come to Joshua on that evening with the intended purpose of breaking off things with him even before she saw him with another girl. When she told him she just wanted to be friends he plead with her to stay with him and then declared his love for her. Annette had been touched but she knew she didn't feel the same. They broke up that night not because of Kathryn's involvement but really because the relationship had come to an end. At least from Annette's point of view. 

"Look I have to get going before my dad starts to worry about me." She tried to once again get in her car but Joshua wouldn't allow it. He again grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back to him. 

"This is all her fault you know" 

"Who's?" 

"Kathryn" he spat with absolute venom. "No matter what you say I know she's the reason you broke up with me that night. She purposely pulled me into a kiss because she saw you were on your way over to me." 

"I don't doubt it but she's not the reason I broke up with you." 

Joshua didn't seem to be hearing her and he continued on with his bitter diatribe. "Now she's taken the one thing I value most in this world and turned her into just another simpering slut to follow-" 

"Joshua stop it" she demanded shocked by his cruel words. 

"You use to be good and pure Annette but now she's tainted you. She's ruined you, RUINED you!" 

Annette was officially scared now. Trying to pull out of his grasp she told him as calmly as she could "Joshua let go of me." 

"She needs to pay for what she's done" he said his voice low and threatening. 

"Let go" she told him. 

At last he seemed to notice she was speaking to him. Joshua stared down at his hand that was clenching her arm and then let go of her. He didn't apologize for his outburst he just hissed "I'm going to destroy her for this." 

Annette didn't know what to say to him all she wanted to do was get the hell out of there. Without another word to him she finally got her door opened and got inside the car. Slamming the door shut she looked at him through the window shield. Joshua was looking back at her as if she was a stranger. The odd thing was she too thought she was looking at a completely different guy. Where was the intelligent, cool, level headed guy she knew? Joshua wasn't just acting irrational he was acting crazed and it frightened her. 

As she watched him turn and head back to his house she contemplated what he had told her. Would he really do something to hurt Kathryn? Normally she would think such a thought was ridiculous but after seeing that intense look in his eyes she wasn't sure what to believe. After a moment of thinking it over she reached for the cell phone in her purse. Annette called information and got the number of the Merteuil residence. 

As she dialed the number she knew Kathryn probably wouldn't be grateful for the information. On the contrary she would most likely just laugh it off and tell Annette to get a life. Still she thought she should at least warn Kathryn, no matter how much she disliked her, that she might be in danger. 

However as fate would have it she got a busy signal. Annette listened to the beeping for a moment before finally hanging up. She looked back at the Kensignton home and sighed. "It looks like you're on your own Kathryn" she whispered aloud before driving off. 

****** 

"So, how did it go tonight?" 

"Oh just as I planned" Kathryn replied coyly as she cradled the phone to her ear. 

Sebastian snickered softly at her answer "then I take it you haven't been dethroned?" 

"No on the contrary my leadership is as strong as ever." 

"And Joshua?"  


"Poor, poor Joshua" she mused her voice laced with phony sympathy. "He lost big tonight and not just to me."  


"My, whatever did you do?" 

Kathryn let out a laugh as she admired her reflection in the hallway mirror. She was wearing an elegant black negligee that was sexy but still left enough up for the imagination. Running her hand down the smooth, silky fabric she replied "I'll tell you everything when you get here. Where are you anyway?" 

He sighed "I'm with Blaine in some coffee house in SoHo. We just got done looking through a couple of galleries and now we're having something to eat." 

"God could my boyfriend be more queer?" she huffed. 

"Could my girlfriend be more of a bitch?" 

Kathryn smiled "when are you coming over?" 

"We should be done shortly. I'll probably be there around one." 

"One? That's like forty minutes away." 

"Sorry but I promise I'll be worth the wait" 

"Promises, promises" she sighed. "I'll make sure the door in unlocked. The doorman has already gone home and most of the staff has already retired for the evening. We'll have absolute privacy." 

"Sounds good, I'll see you soon" 

"Bye" 

Kathryn hung up the phone with a satisfied smile on her face. Although she hated to be kept waiting she decided to put the time to good use and get things set up. She retrieved some wine from her parents collection and headed back to her room. Tonight Kathryn intended on celebrating her victory in style. Not only did she have Sebastian, she had control of the tribunal as well. Her win that night left her feeling especially powerful, it was as if nothing could touch her. 

Grasping the red wine in one hand Kathryn pushed her bedroom door open with the other and stepped inside. She nearly dropped the bottle when she saw that she wasn't alone. "Joshua!" she exclaimed startled "you scared the fuck out of me! What are you doing here?" 

He rose up from his seat on her bed with a cool grin on his face. Obviously he was quite pleased that he had scared her. "Good evening to you too Katie. You don't look happy to see me." 

"Happy is not the word I would use" she spat as she sat the wine down on her desk with a hard thud. Turning back to him she demanded "just how the hell did you get in here anyway?"  


"Door was unlocked" 

"We have this thing in America called a bell..." 

"Yes but had I used that I would have missed out on scaring the shit out of you. Not to mention I have a sinking feeling you wouldn't invite me in." 

Kathryn nodded "you would be right." 

Joshua's normally cool expression darkened as he stepped closer to her. Reaching out he touched her face and whispered "that would be such a shame because we have so much to talk about." 

There was a strange look in his eyes that made Kathryn tense up under his touch. She had a feeling what ever he wanted to discuss she wasn't interested in. Pulling out of his reach she told him curtly "I'd love to but unfortunately I'm expecting company so if you wouldn't mind leaving." 

"Oh yes Valmont" he snickered. "I overheard you on the phone with him. He won't be here for a little while so we have some time." 

Getting fed up with the conversation she hissed "look if you're hear to whine some more about what I did to your precious Annette I'm not interested." 

"Actually I wanted to congratulate you on a job well done. You completely screwed me over." 

Kathryn shrugged "why maim your opponent when you can destroy them. You taught me that." 

"The student surpasses the teacher." Joshua's face fell serious as he revealed "I loved her you know." 

"Yes I know" she replied with a smug smile. "That's what made the victory so sweet. I finally knocked her off that pedestal you put her on." 

"And it only took you three years to do it." 

Kathryn glared at him and hissed "get out." 

He shook his head at her request and then slowly started to advance on her. "I loved Annette, I always have, even when I was with you. I use to lay awake at night wishing it was her I was holding in my arms rather than you." Kathryn regarded him somewhat stunned and then a flash of hurt clouded over her face. Joshua smiled "you always thought it was you, didn't you? The first time we fucked I pretended it was her and it wasn't just that first time. You see Katie I could never have her, thanks to you. That day she broke up with me some part of me died. I knew then I would never have what I truly wanted so I settled for second best. I settled for you." 

Kathryn flinched at his words and turned away from him. She didn't want Joshua to see that he was really hurting her. Her voice quaking slightly she asked "are you done yet? Because I really have things to do." 

He came up from behind her and spun her back around to face him. "You were smart, beautiful, clever, but you were never her. You couldn't even hold a candle. Deep down I knew you were nothing more than a common slut, just like all the rest. The only reason I chose you instead of one of them was because I thought it might make Annette jealous and she would come back to me. But it didn't work, she just wanted to be friends." 

Joshua said the last word sharply and squeezed her arm causing Kathryn to wince. "Let go Joshua you're hurting me." 

"Oh sweetheart you haven't even begun to feel pain" he sneered. "See if it wasn't bad enough that you caused me to loose Annette in the first place, you purposely made the wedge between us even greater. Sending that prick Marcus after her, allowing Valmont to put his filthy hands on her, and then you bring her into the tribunal! You turn her into another one of your mindless sheep to control!" 

"Once upon a time they were your sheep too" 

"You destroyed her!" he yelled. "You took the one thing I truly loved in this word and perverted it, tainted it just for your own sick pleasure!" 

"Joshua let go of me!" Kathryn had gone from feeling annoyed to frightened by him. His eyes were hard and dark and he was gripping her so tightly she knew there would be a bruise in the morning. Kathryn had seen him angry before but in all the years she'd known him she never saw him like this. He never scared her before. 

Joshua seemed to know he was frightening her and worse yet he seemed to be getting off by it. With a cruel smile he told her "you took something from me and now I'm going to take something from you." 

"What are you talking about?" 

"Control my luv, it's the one thing you covet above all else. You know during all that time we were together I don't think I ever saw you loose your cool. I use to admire that most about you. Even during sex you were able to keep your emotions in check. Huh, is it like that with Valmont? When he spreads those supple thighs apart do you let him take over?" 

Joshua reached down between her legs and rubbed her crudely. Kathryn tried to push him away with her free arm but he proved to be stronger than her. "Get your fucking hands off me or I swear to god I'll scream!" 

"Go ahead" he laughed "I always enjoyed it more when you were vocal anyway." 

"The servants will hear you!" 

He snickered "oh but they've all retired for the evening, remember? Besides which if memory serves you have that strict rule with them that says they're not allowed on the floor when you have guests. Since you had a special night with Sebastian planned I'm guessing that rule went into effect some time ago. So it looks like it's just you and me Katie." 

"No!" she screamed as she quickly kneed him in the groin. Almost immediately Joshua let go of her and she ran towards the door. As her hand grasped at the brass handle she was able to open it but only a crack before... 

BAM! 

Joshua appeared suddenly behind her, slamming the door closed with the weight of his body. "Going somewhere?" 

Kathryn backed away from him and tried to think of an alternate route out of the bedroom. Since he was blocking the only exit the only other option was off the balcony but she wanted to keep her limbs in tact so that was out of the question. She considered locking herself in her closet or bathroom but she knew Joshua could get in if he wanted to. With no other option left she remembered her gun. The one ironically enough he gave her. 

She darted over to the desk and pulled open the drawer only to find it locked. FUCK! After Sebastian had gotten to her gun so easily she decided to lock it up and she had placed the key...in her bureau across the room. Still Kathryn yanked on the drawer handle desperately. Looking up she saw Joshua advancing on her yet again, a malicious glint in his eyes. Getting to her feet she ordered him "stay the hell away from me or I swear to god I will fucking kill you!" 

Joshua clucked his tongue, "oh promises, promises." 

Backing away from him as he neared Kathryn noticed too late that Joshua held something in his hand. It was gleaming and sharp, it looked like one of her crystal paper weights. Before she could run away from him Joshua leapt forward and struck her across the face with it. The sharp, knife like edge ripped into her skin causing a sizable gash. 

Kathryn let out a loud, piercing sound of pain as she clutched her face. There was blood gushing out and if felt as if someone had just ripped her face open. She fell to the ground, gasping for breath. Joshua came up beside her and chuckled. "Did I nick you?" He pulled her to her feet and grabbed her hands away "oh you won't win prom queen with your face looking like that. Perhaps I should even it out." Joshua brought her hand back and backed handed her across the other cheek. Kathryn screamed and stumbled back. Once again he grabbed her only this time he turned her away from him and slammed her onto the hard desk. 

With her aching face now being smothered against the desk she gasped for breath, wishing to god he'd have mercy on her and leave her alone but knowing it wasn't nearly over with. When she felt him come up behind her Kathryn pleaded as tears fell down her face "please, Joshua please stop." 

"But I'm just getting started Katie" he whispered in her ear. 

She thought he was going to hit her again but quickly realized what he was really up to, what he really meant when he told her he intended on taking her control away. It was so much worse than getting a beating. Joshua's hands roughly yanked her nightgown up and her panties off. When she felt his hands on her Kathryn desperately tried to squirm away but it was useless. Even at her full strength he was far stronger than her. Still she thrashed on the desk, her hands grasping at anything that might help her fight him off. "NO!" she yelled at him. "Get off of me please Joshua, don't do this!" 

Kathryn heard the familiar sound of him taking off his belt buckle followed by his pants hitting the floor. "You know" he chuckled "if I didn't know better I would think you weren't in the mood." 

"STOP IT!" she yelled. 

Joshua only laughed off her pleas as she felt him behind her, hard. He didn't give her any warning before he thrust inside of her roughly. Kathryn was as dry as a bone and when he entered her it felt as if she was being ripped in two. She screamed in pain as he piston in and out of her. Crying hysterically Kathryn yelped and her hands reached out for something, anything. Joshua must have noticed this because he stopped mid thrust, grabbed her wrists and using his discarded belt used it to tie her hands behind her back. "NO, no please, ahh! Don't Joshua you're going to...please it hurts so bad..." 

Grasping her by the hair he brought her head up and whispered in her ear "I certainly hope so" 

He fucked her hard and brutal as he yanked her head back in time with his thrusting. Joshua would pull her hair and then slam her head back on the desk. About the third time he did this Kathryn eventually passed out. Later she wouldn't be sure if it was from the loss of blood or if he truly knocked her unconscience, either way she was grateful. However when she awoke she realized it was far from over. 

As her eyes fluttered open she realizes she was looking up at her ceiling and she was now lying on her back. She knew right away she was in her bed and for one beautiful instant she couldn't remember anything that had happened. Then she felt the pain in her face and then worse yet the pain between her legs. Picking her head up Kathryn looked down and realized she was now naked, her body was bruised and aching. 

Right away she tried to get back up but was quickly pushed back down. Joshua appeared over her, that same cruel smile from earlier on his face. "Good you're awake" he said in a voice that was almost comforting. "You passed out on me earlier and it wasn't nearly as fun to fuck you when weren't awake." 

"Joshua" she whispered her voice trembling "please stop, I won't tell just leave me alone." 

"Oh but I don't think you've quite learned your lesson yet." 

Noticing that same glint in his eye that appeared right before he sliced into her face she began to try and get away. Kathryn sat up but he quickly hit her across the face sending her reeling back. "I told you we're not finished yet bitch!" Joshua got back on top of her and spread her legs wide. Once again he pushed himself roughly inside of her only this time it hurt ten times worse. Kathryn's sex was already swollen and torn. Feeling him moving within her again only made the pain that much more intense. 

"Ah!!" she screamed as he thrust quickly. Loud sobs soon followed as she tried to catch her breath. 

"Enough of that!" he yelled at her before hitting her once again across the face. "I know you get off on the rough stuff so knock it off. You love this!" 

"Stop it, stop it, stop it" she repeated over and over again as he roughly tugged at her breasts. 

He didn't stop though and instead got even more brutal as he sawed in and out of her. Just as Joshua wanted Kathryn had lost complete control and was now crying and wishing to god he would just kill her. Right then she would have rather died than go through this. 

Looking up at Joshua she couldn't believe this was the same man she loved for years. Three years she loved him, she loved this _monster_ unconditionally. Worse yet she trusted him and now he was killing her. And he was _enjoying_ it. 

All Kathryn could do was cry and try to breath through the pain. In the back on her mind she prayed for Sebastian to come but at the same time she didn't want him to see her like this. Weak, pathetic, _ruined_. 

"Oh yeah I'm almost there" Joshua groaned in her ear. "Are you close Katie?" 

Kathryn gave one last effort to push him off of her but it was fruitless. He thrust into her twice more and she waited for him to fill her. However Joshua had one last humiliation in store for her. Right before he came he pulled out of Kathryn and then came on top of her bruised skin. She let out a disgusted sob when she felt the hot liquid hit her. Joshua snickered at that, "you always did hate that didn't you?" 

Climbing off the bed she heard his footsteps retreat momentarily and she knew then she should get up and run. Kathryn tried to move but couldn't, weather because she was immobilized by fear or because she was too soar to walk. Joshua walked back to her a minute later, fixing his pants and putting his belt back on. As he did Kathryn noticed a smear of her own blood on the leather and she closed her eyes. As he stood over her she was torn between wishing he'd leave and hoping he'd finish the job and just kill her. 

"Well Katie my luv it's been fun but I have to get going. Don't worry I promise I'll call later, you know make sure you don't do anything stupid like tell someone about our wonderful night together." Kathryn's eyes opened and she wished she had enough strength to fight him, kill him for what he'd done but she didn't. 

Joshua sat beside her on the bed gently touching her face "hey what shall we call our first daughter?" He was playing the marraige game. A technique he used when ever she was angry at him. Kathryn's stomach started to turn. 

A single tear rolled down her eyes as he spoke "I was thinking about Amanda or what do you think about Annette? No perhaps that's a little too ironic. Well I have to go, good-bye Katie." Bending forward he planted a light kiss on her forehead and then left. 

Kathryn waited until she heard the door close before leaning over on her side and throwing up. 

****** 

Kathryn was going to be pissed. As Sebastian tossed the cab driver some money he cursed Blaine under his breath. He insisted after they ate that he stop off at one last gallery so he could go ogle the owner. Sebastian had reluctantly gone since he wanted to get a look at some of the guys modern imperialistic work. By the time he finally arrived at the Merteuil townhouse it was over an hour since he hung up with Kathryn. 

Luckily she hadn't gotten angry and locked the door on him. Stepping inside he grinned thinking of all the ways he planned on making it up to her. Sebastian walked across the sitting room and headed up the stairs to the second floor realizing for the first time how quiet everything was. He climbed the steps even quicker and called out "Kathryn! Baby I'm sorry I'm late but it couldn't be helped. Fucking Blaine...Kathryn?" 

He got to her door and opened it expecting to find her on the bed waiting him wearing some sexy teddy. Indeed she was on the bed but Sebastian most definitely was not prepared for what he found. "Jesus Christ" he breathed. 

The first thing he noticed was her naked body, bruised and battered and then as she turned to look at him he saw her face. "Kathryn!" he called to her and he ran to her side. "Oh my god" 

Kathryn's face was for lack of a better word a complete mess. There was a large bloody gash on one side, her eyes were blackened and one looked like it was bruised shut. When she saw him come in she immediately backed away and cried "no, please no." 

Sebastian was so shocked he could barely catch his breath. "Kathryn, it's okay. It's me Sebastian, god what happened to you?" 

She shook her head at him as if it pained her to answer. Once again he went to touch her but this time she didn't back away instead she tried to cover herself with a sheet. Sebastian realized she was beaten and even though she was naked it hadn't occurred to him she had been raped until she tried to hide herself from him. "Kathryn what happened?" he asked as he gently pulled the sheet away. Sebastian got a quick glance of her sex and saw it was red and bloodied. "Oh...oh god" he whispered his hands trembling at the thought of someone touching her in such a way. The fact that someone had come in and turned this once confident girl into a quaking, bloody mess made him sick. 

Sebastian's head was reeling as he was torn between whisking Kathryn in his arms to comfort her and running out to find the son of a bitch who did this and tear him apart. However he knew those things could wait, first he had to get her help. With his hands still shaking Sebastian reached inside his coat and pulled out his cell phone. "I'm going to call an ambulance" he explained to her "and then we'll-" 

"No!" she yelled as she sat up and gripped his arm. "No!' 

"Kathryn I have to" he explained "your face...and you could have internal injuries." 

"I don't care" she whispered "I'm not going to the hospital." 

Sebastian couldn't understand her thinking. As comfortingly as possibly he told her "we have to take you to the hospital and then talk to the police. They have to find the sicko that did this." 

"It was Joshua" 

Her voice was so soft and tiny he wasn't sure he had heard her correctly the first time. "Joshua?" he repeated. "Joshua did this to you?" 

When Kathryn looked up at him and nodded Sebastian jumped to his feet. His fists clenching in anger as he thought of that piece of shit touching her, hitting her. _His Kathryn_. 

"I'm going to kill him" he breathed. "I'm going to fucking tear his legs off." 

Looking away from him Kathryn spoke "he was teaching me a lesson. I...I brought Annette to the tribunal so they wouldn't throw me out. It worked, I beat Joshua. He was...angry and I kept....I kept pushing him. He threatened me and I laughed in his face. I came home and after I hung up with you I turned around...he was here."  


"He followed you home?" 

She nodded weakly and continued "he was acting strange. I knew something was off but I kept pushing him. He told me he never...he didn't love me. It's always been Annette but I took her away from him. He said he was going to take away my control and I knew then...he was going to hurt me. I ran, I tried to get away but he was stronger. He cut my face and then..." Kathryn looked over towards the desk "he...he...did it...there but then I passed out and I was back in bed. He was still inside me though, I begged him to stop but he kept going. Oh god I didn't want to...Sebastian you have to believe to, I didn't want him inside me" she pleaded. 

"I know, I know" he whispered putting his arm around her comfortingly. "This isn't your fault, he did this. I should have gotten here sooner." 

Kathryn remained stoic in his arms but her body shook a great deal. "We should still call the police" he told her. 

She pulled away "no, you can't Sebastian. It will just make things worse" 

"What do you want to do then?" 

"I want to take a bath. I need to wash him off of me. Can you please help me?" 

Sebastian had seen enough crime shows to know that the victim wasn't suppose to shower right away because it would be harder to prove rape. However seeing as Kathryn didn't want to report it and didn't want to go to the hospital and he didn't want to force her to go he didn't know anything else that would make her feel better. Sebastian nodded "yeah I'll go run you a bath. I'll be right back." He went to kiss her forehead and she quickly cowered away from him in fear. Sebastian felt pained that she couldn't even stand to have him touch her. 

Heading into the bathroom he turned on the warm water then sunk to his knees as the water ran. This was all his fault, Joshua did this to her because he hadn't been there to stop it. If he had just arrived when he told her he would maybe he could have stopped it or at least gotten his hands on Joshua. Sebastian pressed his forehead against the porcelain rim of the tub and closed his eyes. He felt like he could cry over what happened to Kathryn but he wouldn't allow himself. Now he had to help _her_ and get _her_ through this. 

With the bathtub filled Sebastian shut the water off and then walked back to the bedroom. "It's ready" he told her gently. "Would you like me to help you in?" 

Kathryn nodded mutely and he bent down to pick her up. She winced at his touch but he knew it was the only way. As he carried her to the tub Sebastian noticed a line of blood trickle down from between her legs. Once again he vowed to hurt the bastard for what he'd done to her. 

As gently as possible he placed her in the bath water. Kathryn choked back a sob of pain as the water hit against her wounds. "It's okay" Sebastian cooed. "Just relax. Now I have to clean you up a little so those cuts don't get infected." 

Using a warm wash cloth Sebastian brought it to her face and touched it against her battered skin. Kathryn hissed at the pain and backed away. "Kathryn I have to" he told her sternly. "It will be worse if I don't." 

"Okay" she responded quietly. 

Sebastian proceeded as delicately as possible to clean her up without hurting her. He cleaned the blood from her face and the rest of her body. However when he hesitantly brought the wash cloth between he legs Kathryn stopped him. "I'll do it" she murmured. 

He nodded in understanding and then got to his feet. "I'm just going to make up the bed. I'll be back." 

After taking some sheets from the linen closet he started to leave the bathroom when Kathryn suddenly reached out and grasped his hand. Looking up at him with her eyes wide and vulnerable she told him "thank you." 

"Of course" he smiled slightly at her then went back to the bedroom. Sebastian started a fire in the fireplace and then tossed in the bloodied sheets. He placed the new ones on taking his time to make sure everything was perfect and clean. Then he cleaned up where Kathryn had obviously gotten sick earlier and went to retrieve her from the bathroom. He found her staring off into space, sitting in a bath of bloody water. 

"Are you ready?" he asked kneeling down beside her. When Kathryn looked over at him and nodded he bent back down and carried her back to her room. Sebastian had pulled out a long white nightgown from her closet along with a long, warm robe. He helped her get dressed and then tucked her under the covers. "I'm not going to leave" he promised her "I'm just going to go take a seat on your couch. Go to sleep and when you wake up I'll be here, okay?" 

"Sebastian no" Kathryn reached out and grasped his hand again. "Will you lay with me, please? Just stay with me." 

He was surprised at the request given that every time he attempted to comfort her before she backed away from him. Still Sebastian wasn't about to deny her now. Sitting back on the bed he laid down beside her. Almost immediately Kathryn curled up against him and didn't back away when he put his arm around her. They laid like that in utter silence for a little while. Then all of a sudden Kathryn began to cry. She sobbed long and hard as she clung to his chest shaking like a child. Sebastian's heart broke then as he listened to her cry. Joshua had managed to do the impossible, he had destroyed Kathryn Merteuil. Deep down Sebastian wondered if she would survive this. Would she ever come back to him? 

For hours that night he pondered these questions and many more. Eventually Kathryn's tears gave way to sleep and he knew then what he had to do. As quietly as possible he pulled away from her and got out of bed. Sebastian knew he promised to not leave but there was something he needed to take care of first. Watching Kathryn at peace finally he caressed her dark hair and whispered to her "he's never going to hurt you again." 

****** 

Sebastian had known she was right. As the cab whizzed down Broadway he thought about Kathryn's resistance to go to the police. At the time it seemed absurd to Sebastian that she wouldn't want to report her assault. For a brief moment he even thought she might be trying to protect Joshua until it dawned on him why she would be so resistant. No matter how horrible Kathryn's bruises looked it would still be her word against his. 

Kathryn would tell the police what Joshua did and his lawyers would just chalk it up to rough sex. They had dated for three years and as soon as the jury heard that it would start appearing less like rape. Kathryn's name would get dragged through the mud and she'd be even more destroyed than she already was. Sebastian wasn't about to let that happen. Not while he had breath in his body. It was up to him to get vengeance for Kathryn. 

It hadn't been as difficult as he expected to hunt down Joshua. When he called the Kensington residence posing as one of Joshua's friends they told him that their driver dropped him off at Saunter, a club down by Battery park. Sebastian was familiar with it and had the cab drop him off a block away. As he walked down to the building he called the club where a gruff voice barked hello. "Is Bethany there?" he asked 

"Hold on a minute!" 

A few minutes later a tired voice greeted him "hello?" 

"Hey Beth it's Valmont. I need a favor" 

"Do you now?" she snickered. "What can I help you with this evening Valmont?" 

"I'm looking for this guy, Joshua Kensington. He's tall, with dark-" 

"I know who he is" he yelled over the pulsating music. "He's in here with a couple of girls. I'm not waiting on him but one of the other girls is. Do you want me to tell him you're looking for him?" 

"No!" he said immediately. "No, I want you to tell him a petite blond, who looked a little out of place was asking for him. She wants to meet him down at the park. Can you tell him that?" 

There was a second of hesitation "yeah sure, no problem." 

"Thank you" 

Sebastian hung up with her and then walked the rest of the way down to the park. As he waited by the entrance for Joshua to arrive it began to snow but Sebastian barely noticed. He was too consumed at the moment by what he was about to do he wasn't thinking about the weather or anything else for that matter. 

Twenty minutes after he hung up with Beth Joshua appeared. The bastard was wearing a smile, obviously quite pleased that Annette wanted to meet with him. Sebastian waited for him to pass before appearing from out of the shadows. Joshua spun around when he heard him and his smile immediately fell. "Valmont?" Shaking his head he grumbled "of course. You had that waitress lure me out here. What's the matter too afraid to face me in public?" 

"No" he sneered "I just didn't want any witnesses." 

"Witnesses?" he snickered "To what?" 

Sebastian slowly began to circle him as he spoke, "did you really think you were going to be able to walk away from what you did to her? You beat her and then force yourself inside her, did you think you wouldn't pay for that?" 

Joshua barely batted an eye lash at his accusations. Instead he feigned confusion "rape? Who did I rape? Surely you're not referring to what happened between me and Kathryn tonight." 

"You know damn well that's what I'm referring to" Sebastian hissed. 

"Oh Valmont" he chuckled "you silly, naive little boy. Do you honestly think I forced her? Come on this is Kathryn we're talking about." Joshua smiled smugly "she was begging for it." 

Sebastian reacted immediately by punching him hard in the face. As Joshua stumbled back he advanced on him and continued to hit him until he fell back into the snow. Climbing on top of him he started swinging wildly until Joshua blocked one of his hits and then punched Sebastian back with equal force. He fell to the side and using the fact that he was disoriented Joshua jumped on him. The two boys wrestled around in the snow with Joshua eventually ending up on top. Hitting him across the face he laughed "you know it's funny Valmont, your girlfriend could fight me off better than you can." 

Joshua continued to hit him until he got his fill. Getting back on his feet he looked down at Valmont in disgust and then spit at him. "I hope you are your whore are very happy together" he sneered before walking away. 

Sebastian could feel his nose trickling with blood as he watched Joshua's departing foot steps. He knew he could just let him walk out, call it a night but there was no way he was walking out of this park without doing what he came there to do. Reaching into his pocket he grasped the only option he had left. 

****** 

Kathryn awoke with a sudden jolt. 

Gasping for breath she sat up in her bed looking around her darkened bedroom. She had been having a nightmare but she couldn't remember it. She might have thought she dreamed the whole night if her body wasn't aching and she didn't feel so dirty. 

Almost immediately Kathryn realized she was alone. Sebastian was no longer beside her and he didn't appear to be in her bedroom. "Sebastian" she called out to him but was met with no answer. Right away a sinking feeling came over her as she thought about the look that appeared on his face when she told him that Joshua had done this to her. The look in his eyes wasn't just angry it was _determined_. 

Kathryn's mind began to go into overdrive as she contemplated all the places Sebastian could be. The most obvious one filled her with absolute dread. Sebastian had gone after Joshua, he was going to make him pay for what he did to her. Normally this would be a scenario that would please Kathryn but now she was more worried about his safety. Now that she knew what Joshua was truly capable of she panicked. 

Sitting in her bed alone in the dark like this she was reminded of something. Months ago when the electricity went out she was alone in her room with Sebastian and he found her... 

"Oh god" she said aloud as she got up from the bed. Her legs however were still weak and soar so she has trouble standing. Limping over to the desk, blocking out her last memory of it as best she could Kathryn went to the second to last drawer and tried to open it. Just as she suspected it was no longer locked. Her gun was also no longer inside. 

"Damnit" she cursed before slamming the drawer shut. 

Kathryn had no way of knowing where Joshua and Sebastian could be. Even if she did she was in no condition to chase after them. Besides which she was probably too late. There was nothing left for her to do. Nothing that is besides protect the person she loved. She was in absolutely no mind set to plan and strategies but she had to force herself now. She had to help Sebastian just like he helped her because if she didn't have him she had no one. 

Slowly she made her way over to the telephone. Cradling it against her face she dialed her second in command. "Hello" Marcus groggy voice greeted her. 

"It's me" she replied gravely "we have a situation." 

****** 

Sebastian's hand gripped the small, steal weapon in his coat. As Joshua walked away from him, his feet crunching against the newly fallen snow, Sebastian got to his feet. "Hey Joshua" he called out to him. 

As expected the older boy stopped at the sound of his name and turned around "what?" 

"Did I ever tell you about how sweet Annette looked when she was sucking on my dick?" 

This triggered the exact effect Sebastian had hoped it would. Joshua's face grew dark as he charged at him yelling "you son of a bitch!' 

He ran at him knocking him back on the ground. Once again they wrestled around with one another, each fighting for dominance. However this time there was a different outcome. As Joshua brought his hands up to his enemies neck and attempted to strangle him Sebastian pulled his weapon out and pressed the cold steal to his chest. 

_BAM!! BAM!! BAM!!_

It took three bullets before Joshua at last went still. With a groan of disgust Sebastian pushed him off and on to his back. He got to his feet and stared over him. Joshua's struggled for a final breath and his face twitched in agony. "You deserve so much worse than this" he whispered to him before releasing the final bullet into his head. With that it was over with. He did what he came there to do. 

Sebastian was surprised to find that he wasn't nearly as horrified as he thought he would be. He had killed a man but it didn't feel wrong. Looking down as a pool of crimson that was slowly engulfing the snow Sebastian breathed easily knowing that at the very least Kathryn was now safe. 

He didn't stick around for long. After having filed off the serial number on the gun, Sebastian tossed it into the Hudson river then walked a few blocks before catching a cab. On the way back to Kathryn's he thought about what he would say to her. Would she understand? Would she be grateful? He couldn't be sure. 

When he arrived at the Merteuil residence he quietly crept back into Kathryn's bedroom as quietly as he crept out. Sebastian let out a sigh of relief when he saw that she was still asleep. Slipping his jacket off he climbed in beside her and wrapped her into his arms. He wasn't sure what would happen in the morning but he didn't care so long as she was okay. 

As Kathryn fell asleep that night, she allowed herself to relax even if it was only for a little while. Sebastian was alive she told herself, he was safe. However she also knew this meant Joshua was not. Closing her eyes tightly Kathryn clung even harder to Sebastian's chest. She could still smell the gun powder on him. 

- to be continued (Please Review) 


	14. The First Cut Is the Deepest

**The Tribunal**

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**Summary: Everyone deals with the aftermath of Joshua's death.**

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**Authors Note: Sorry for the delay but you know pesky life keeps getting in the way. After this chapter there's just the epilogue and I hope to have that up shortly then I'll continue on with Trip On Love. Oh by the way did anyone else hear that they are releasing a Cruel Intentions 3 movie straight to video? Apparently there's no Kathryn/Sebastian/Annette but original characters. Scary.**

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**Chapter 14: The First Cut Is the Deepest**

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**_I still want you by my side / just to help me dry the tears that I've cried / cause I'm sure gonna give you a try / and if you want, I'll try to love again / but baby, I'll try to love again, but I know/ The first cut is the deepest_ __**

**_- Cat Stevens "The First Cut is the Deepest"_**

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**__**Covering up a murder was really such a taxing business. Not that Marcus had much experience in that area but he had masked and concealed enough things in his life time to know how to cover up the demise of Joshua. It didn't take much, just a few helping hands, a little detective work and some cleverness. However it all had to be done quickly and quietly which meant he got little sleep that night. 

Now as he walked down a block away from battery park and caught a cab the reality of what he spent the night doing began to set in. Marcus's mind had been on autopilot ever since Kathryn told him Joshua was dead and the tribunal needed to take care of it. It was a hell of a way to get woken up in the middle of the night. Of course he had wanted answers from her but she just said he was dead, or at least she was pretty sure. Then she had mumbled something about Sebastian. Marcus had pressed for more details but that was all she would give him. Since she was in fact the leader he had no choice but to do an instructed. 

He had gathered some of the tribunal's older members, all guys who Marcus knew were smart enough to keep whatever they were about to do secret. After getting a lead that Joshua had left some club down town they headed to battery park and sure enough there was Joshua dead as could be, lying in an ugly mixture of snow and blood. All though it had been quite a shocking sight he hadn't wasted any time delegating commands and figuring out a course of action.**__**

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**__**Marcus had never liked Joshua, point of fact he hated him with a deep passion. Yet seeing him lying dead like that, his eyes opened in obvious shock over what happened, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt. Then he started to feel annoyed that Kathryn had put him in this position to begin with and hadn't even bothered to tell him why. They had done some pretty fucked up shit in their time but murder was a whole new game. Not to mention up until a week ago Kathryn was claiming to love Joshua so what the hell exactly happened the night before? Something was most definitely rotten in Denmark. 

One thing was for sure, Marcus had to talk to Annette right away. Even though it would be some time before the police discovered Joshua's body, he still wanted to tell her what happened so when she found out it wouldn't come as such a surprise. Plus this was just too big to carry around by himself and they had made a vow not to keep secrets from each other. 

The cab pulled up to the Hardgroves modest home, located in a suburb of Long Island. Marcus paid the driver and as he approached the front door he tried to find the words to tell Annette that her first real boyfriend was dead-likely at the hands of Kathryn. Although she was now a tribunal member Annette was still incredibly sensitive and he had a feeling she would be devastated at the loss. 

Luckily after he rang the doorbell Headmaster Hardgrove answered the door, thus giving him a little more time. "Oh hello Marcus" the older man greeted him with a typical friendly smile. "You're here early."  


"Yes sir I'm sorry for just dropping by but I really need to speak with Annette. Is she awake?" 

Hardgrove nodded "yes she was just down here a minute ago. Well come on in, she should be upstairs getting ready." 

"Thank you" Marcus didn't bother with any more small talk and quickly made his way up the to the second floor. He stopped outside Annette's door and knocked. "Hey baby it's me." 

Annette opened the door with her typical serene smile "well this is a surprise. I didn't think you'd drag yourself out of bed till at least eleven." 

**__**

**__**"Yeah" he replied gravely "well I never really went to bed. Can I come in, I need to tell you something." 

Her expression growing serious she moved aside and replied "of course. Marcus what's going on?" 

He stepped into her room and anxiously looked around before taking a seat on the bed. Everything in the room was neat as a pin and there was something innocent about the room that made Marcus regret having gotten involved with Annette. He had tainted her, taken her innocence away by letting Kathryn initiate her into the tribunal. He loved her more than his life but he couldn't help but think that if they hadn't fallen into this relationship he might have been able to spare her unnecessary pain. 

Annette must have noticed him staring off because the concern on her face only grew. Approaching him she knelt down beside him and asked softly "what is it? You can tell me I'm a big girl." 

Taking her hands in his Marcus at last met her eyes and revealed "it's about Joshua. He...he's dead."  


She stared up at him blankly for a moment before slowly rising to her feet. Annette didn't cry or demand more details she simply turned towards the window. Marcus watched her concerned at how quite she was. He opened his mouth to say something when she turned back to him and asked "was it Kathryn?" 

Marcus regarded her with surprise "how did you know?" 

"You were at the tribunal meeting" she replied softly "you saw how angry Joshua was at her. I'm right aren't I? Kathryn killed him." 

"I'm not sure exactly what happened. All I know is I got a call from Kathryn late last night telling me she thought Joshua might be dead and that we had to cover it up. I tracked down his car outside this club down by battery park. After searching most of the night we found his body in the park. He had been shot." 

Annette seemed to flinch at the news but she didn't have that big emotional reaction he was expecting. She didn't cry or ask about calling the police, no she just took a seat on her bed. Sitting down beside her he told her "you know this wasn't exactly how I'd thought you'd take the news." 

"Joshua was very troubled Marcus" she replied her voice tired. "He had more than his share of demons. If Kathryn did kill him I'm guessing she had her reasons." 

"Yeah but it's still murder" 

Annette glanced over at him "do you want to go to the police?"  


He shook his head "no, that will only cause more problems. Especially since I've spent the last six hours disrupting the crime scene I don't think it's a good idea to go around making accusations." 

"That's probably a good idea." 

Marcus stood abruptly "what aren't you telling me? Did something happen between you and Joshua? Did he do something to you?" 

"Nothing you should worry about" she explained cryptically. 

"Well I am worried" 

Standing beside him she changed the subject "have you talked with Kathryn at all since last night?" 

"No" he admitted "but that was my next stop after I talked to you. The police shouldn't find the body for a little while but I wanted you to know what happened." 

Annette smiled slightly "thank you. Are you going to talk with her now?" 

"Yeah" 

"Then I'm coming with you" 

Marcus didn't bother hiding his hesitation at the idea. "I'm not sure that's a good idea. I mean Kathryn might-" 

"I'm going with you" she replied firmly as she grabbed her coat and headed for the door. "And on the way over there you can tell me exactly what you did with Joshua's body." 

****** 

"Kathryn I want you to use this twice a day for the next couple of weeks or until the swelling goes down" Dr. Gray explained as she handed her over a bag of medication. As she glanced over her patient yet again she sighed "I wish you would come to the hospital and then maybe re-" 

"I'm fine" Kathryn explained sharply as she once again tightened the robe around her small frame. "Thank you for coming out of your way to see me doctor." 

The pretty doctor smiled sympathetically "it's not a problem. I only wish I could help you more. You know I know the numbers of a few psychiatrists who might be able to help you." 

"No thank you" Kathryn replied quickly but politely. "I'm f-" 

"You're fine, I get it, but it's just something to think about." 

Sebastian who had been observing the conversation from the doorway couldn't help but agree with Dr. Gray. He was hardly one to condone psychiatry but Kathryn had just been through a traumatic event and he knew she was going to need a lot of help. Help he might not be able to give her. Then again he couldn't really picture Kathryn opening up to a stranger. She was having hard enough time talking to him. 

The morning after the rape Sebastian had awoken from the twenty minutes of sleep he had that night to find Kathryn staring out the window in a daze. She didn't acknowledge him when he greeted her and barely said anything to him since. When he told her he was calling a doctor, a female friend of his mothers, to come over and examine her she had replied "no Sebastian." 

He insisted however urging her that she didn't want any permanent damage to occur. This seemed to register and without further argument she agreed. Dr. Gray had arrived shortly after and Sebastian briefly explained the situation. He then waited outside as the doctor examined Kathryn. Now as she headed back out of the bedroom Sebastian approached her anxiously "well?" 

The doctor sighed "well she's obviously been through a trauma. Besides the bruises on her face her body is in bad shape. She torn and..." 

As she trailed off Sebastian nodded in understanding. "Is there anything I can do for her?" 

"Make sure she takes the medication and perhaps persuade her to maybe get some counseling. I'd also advise you to report this to the police if only to keep her safe." 

Flashing back to the night before with Joshua in the park Sebastian sighed "trust me it won't be a problem." 

"Good" she replied as she closed her medical bag and headed for the door. 

Sebastian followed her out and helped her with her coat. "I can trust this will just stay between us. I don't want my mother worrying." 

Dr. Gray smiled "don't worry Sebastian, I was never here."  


"Thank you" 

He stood in the foyer and watched as she headed out of the house and into a cab. He trusted the doctor not to say anything about this to his mother but he still felt unnerved about keeping the whole thing a secret to begin with. For starters all anyone would need to do is get one look at Kathryn's face and they would figure out something horrible happened to her. Not to mention she wasn't exactly acting like herself. When Joshua's body was eventually found people would start to question what happened... 

Sebastian however wouldn't allow that to happen. He had killed that bastard and he hadn't regretted it for a second. Joshua deserved to die for what he did to her but Kathryn didn't deserve to pay for it. Sebastian vowed to make sure no one found out Kathryn had anything to do with what happened the previous night, no matter what he had to do. 

Heading into the Merteuil living room Sebastian went to the phone and dialed the hospital. He was pretty sure Joshua was good and dead but he wanted to make sure he hadn't somehow survived. Besides calling the hospital was a lot less riskier than calling the cops. 

"Good morning, Mount Sinai. How may I help you?" answered a hurried older woman. 

"Yes good morning I work for the Times" he greeted her in a business like tone of voice. "I was wondering if anyone was brought into the emergency room late last night or this morning. A young male about nineteen years-" 

"I'm sorry sir" she interrupted "but I'm not allowed to give out that sort of information." 

"I understand but perhaps you can make an-" 

"Joshua's not in the hospital" 

Sebastian got off the desk and spun around at the sound of Kathryn's voice. She slowly walked up to him, her face grave as she repeated "he's not in the hospital, he's dead." 

He was so stunned by what she was saying he wasn't even listening to the nurse on the other end trying to get his attention. "Sir, sir? Is there anything else I can help you with?" 

"I'm sorry" he mumbled into the phone before hanging it up and turning his attention back to Kathryn. Taking a deep breath Sebastian asked "how do you know he's dead?" 

Her face completely void of emotion she asked "you killed him didn't you? You took my gun from the desk and shot him." 

Getting to his feet Sebastian looked away from her "how did you know?" 

"I woke up last night and you were gone. So was my gun and I knew...I knew you would do something I knew you would kill him." 

"I'm not sure he's dead" Sebastian told her softly. "I mean I did shoot him but I can't be sure-" 

"He's dead" Kathryn replied flatly "and it's taken care of." 

His head whipped up as the words came out of her mouth. Striding over towards her he demanded "what do you mean it's taken care of?" 

"I called Marcus and had the tribunal take care of it. No one will ever know you were involved, that either of us were involved except-" 

"What?!" he roared with sudden anger. "You brought the tribunal in on this? Are you out of your fucking mind?!" Kathryn backed away from him in fear and Sebastian instantly regretted yelling at her. "I'm sorry I shouldn't have said that. It's just...this has nothing to do with them. You shouldn't have gotten them involved." 

"There was nothing else I could do!" she yelled back at him her emotions rushing to the surface. 

"You didn't have to do anything" Sebastian told her trying to take her hand. 

Kathryn pulled away from him, her body trembling in anger. "Of course I had to do something! I wasn't about to loose you too!" 

"Excuse me Ms. Merteuil?" 

Sebastian looked past Kathryn and saw one of the maids cowering in the doorway. "What is it?" 

"There are some people here to see you. Mr. James and a guest" 

Kathryn rolled her eyes and sighed "great. I can't talk to him looking like this." 

"It's fine I'll take care of it" he told the maid. 

When they were once again alone they stared at each other hard for a moment. Finally Kathryn turned away and walked towards the door. "I'll be in my room" she called back to him. "Just tell Marcus I'm not up for seeing people this morning." 

Sebastian nodded and then soon after followed her out but headed down towards the west wing sitting room. As he approached he could hear soft murmuring that sounded distinctly like Marcus and Annette. When Sebastian appeared they both looked up at him slightly alarmed at his presence. 

"Where's Kathryn?" Marcus asked immediately. 

"Good morning to you too" Sebastian drawled rolling his eyes as he strode up to the couple. "Kathryn's not feeling well and she's not really in the mood to see anyone." 

"Well that's tough shit because we have some things to discuss" Marcus barked as he strode past him. 

Grabbing him by the arm Sebastian pulled him back. "You're not going anywhere near her Marcus. Whatever you have to say to Kathryn you can say to me." 

Marcus pulled out of his grasp and looked up at him obviously angered that he was being treated in such a way. "Look Valmont" he snarled "there's something going on that I need-" 

"If this is about Joshua's death it doesn't concern her" Sebastian explained coldly. "I'm the one who killed him." 

"What?" they both asked in unison as they exchanged confused looks. 

"Yes I killed him. It had nothing to do with Kathryn. I don't know why she got you involved." 

"You?" Marcus repeated. "You're telling me I spent the whole night covering up a murder of someone who's not even a tribunal member. What the hell was Kathryn thinking bringing us into this?" 

"She thought she was helping me" 

"Yeah well she can hide all she wants but we're having this out." 

As Marcus once again attempted to head out of the room Sebastian stood in his path. "No way I'm letting you near her." 

"Oh and what do you plan to do about it? Are you going to shoot me too Valmont?" 

"Guys" Annette called out calmly as she attempted to reason with them. "This isn't helping anything. Sebastian if we could just talk to Kathryn and find out what is going on..." 

"Out of the question" 

"Then what's to stop us from going to the police?" Marcus demanded. 

"No one's going to the police" Kathryn's voice rang out from across the room. 

Everyone turned around as she entered including Sebastian. She was still dressed in her white robe and she hadn't made an effort to cover her bruises and scar. Both Marcus and Annette looked over at her in stunned horror. "Oh my god" Annette breathed. 

Kathryn touched her face self consciously and murmured "it's not that bad, is it?" 

Marcus strode over to his friend, all his anger apparently washed away. "Jesus Kathryn what happened?" 

As he reached out to touch her face Kathryn immediately stepped away from him. "Don't, it's fine." 

"Fine?" he repeated incredulously. "Have you been to the hospital? The cut looks-" 

"I've seen a doctor" Kathryn explained. 

"Did Joshua do that to you?" Annette asked speaking for the first time. 

When she nodded in response Marcus tossed his head back and sighed. "Can some body please tell me what's going on?"  


Sebastian opened his mouth to speak but Kathryn quickly spoke up. "It was an accident. Last night Joshua came over here, he was angry." Looking away she murmured more to herself than to them. "I had never seen him like that before. He wanted to hurt me for getting Annette involved with the tribunal. We fought, he smacked me around and Sebastian walked in. He pulled Joshua off of me and they struggled. Joshua got away and grabbed my gun from the drawer. Sebastian tried to get it away from him and it went off. Joshua got shot." 

Marcus looked between Sebastian and Kathryn obviously not quite convinced by her story. "You're telling me the gun just accidentally went off? Four times?" 

"No" Sebastian replied before Kathryn could. "It only happened once and Joshua was fine. However he threatened to go after Kathryn again so I followed him down to this club. We went to the park, I warned him to stay away from Kathryn. We fought again only this time I killed him." 

"Is this true?" he asked Kathryn. 

"Yes" she sighed "look Marcus I didn't want to get the tribunal involved in this but there was no other way. It was really all my fault any of this happened." 

"No it's not" Sebastian told her adamantly. "It was that sick fuck."  
  
"Still, offing him Valmont wasn't exactly the smartest solution. I mean there's no way the cops will find out we were involved but still it doesn't justify-" 

"Maybe they had no other choice" Annette spoke up. As all eyes in the room quickly turned her way Annette seemed to ignore them all except for Kathryn. A knowing look seemed to appear on her face as she watched the brunette. 

"Guys I'd like to speak to Kathryn alone for a minute." 

****** 

**__**

**__**The two long sworn enemies sat across from each other, Annette in the arm chair, Kathryn on the couch, staring cautiously at one another. After much hesitation Sebastian and Marcus had left to go get some coffee down the street. Both had seemed uncomfortable at the notion of leaving the two girls alone with each other, what with their history and everything. However Annette had been pretty adamant and Kathryn hadn't objected. Now they sat in silence not sure what to say to the other. 

Annette at last broke the silence with the question that had been plaguing her ever since Kathryn had walked through that door. "He raped you didn't he?" 

Kathryn flinched at the question and her eyes immediately sank to the floor. "Don't be ridiculous" she replied curtly. "Joshua would never...I told you want happened." 

"No you told Marcus." Annette sighed "look you don't have to tell me anything. I just wanted to tell you that I understand and that I realized last night who Joshua really is." 

Kathryn's head snapped back up "what are you talking about? What did Joshua do?" 

Annette took a deep breath before launching into her story. "Last night after the meeting I went to my car after saying good-bye to Marcus and Joshua followed me out. He was completely crazed he kept saying it was all your fault, that you corrupted me somehow. At first I just thought he was angry about loosing to you but then he got violent. He grabbed me and I think he would have hurt me if I hadn't gotten away. I mean it was like he was a different person-the look in his eyes was frightening. Joshua told me he was going to get you back and when I got in the car I tried to call you but the phone was busy. God if I had just called back again maybe I could have...I don't know, warned you or something." 

Kathryn shook her head and smiled sadly "I wouldn't have listened to you anyway. The thing is before last night I thought I knew Joshua. I loved him for three years, I mistakenly thought he loved me back but it was you he always wanted." She snickered slightly "I was the consolation prize, imagine that." 

"Kathryn I'm sorry" 

"Don't be" she mumbled "you have nothing to be sorry about. You didn't do this to me, it's completely my own doing. When he showed up in my room last night I should have gotten the hell out of there but no I had to have the upper hand. I pushed him, I all but egged him on. When he forced me down onto that desk and got on top of me I should have fought him harder I should have-" 

"Stop it" Annette ordered placing her hand over Kathryn's shaking one. "No matter what you think Kathryn this isn't your fault. Joshua was obviously very sick. It had nothing to do with you or me. It was all him." 

Rising to her feet Kathryn glanced out the window and Annette looked on a little worried. She had never liked Kathryn, more to the point she hated her most of the time but she couldn't help but feel for her. Seeing the once great princess Merteuil fall from grace so to speak was horrible to witness. It surprised Annette how much more she hated Joshua for taking someone even as horrible as Kathryn and breaking her. 

"Sebastian was just trying to protect me" she explained her voice sounding very far away. "Joshua left and Sebastian came soon after. I didn't tell him to go after him but in the back of my mind I knew he would." 

"I'm sure he felt he had to" Annette remarked. "Sebastian risked a lot for you." 

"Well he shouldn't have" Kathryn spat suddenly as she whipped around to face her. "He never should have put himself on the line for me. However I'm not sorry Joshua's dead." 

"Neither am I" 

Kathryn regarded her with surprise and just a hint of a smile. "My, my perhaps Joshua was right. Maybe I did corrupt you." 

"Don't flatter yourself" Annette replied as she got to her feet. "I should get going. I told Marcus I'd meet him downstairs." 

"You won't tell him about any of this will you?" 

The blond smiled warmly "no of course not but if you ever need anything..." 

"Oh I think we've bonded enough for one life time don't you think?" 

Annette chuckled and turned to leave but before she got to the door Kathryn called to her "wait Annette. Have you, um, told Marcus about the baby yet?" 

She looked back at her solemnly and replied "no not yet. There hasn't been a good time." 

"Tell him" Kathryn advised. "Marcus is a good guy and he'll want to be there for you. Whatever you decide to do about it." 

Annette thought about it a moment then smiled as she nodded in agreement. So Kathryn had known about the baby, Annette had figured as much. After the wedding she had gotten a call from Kathryn asking her to join the tribunal. When she balked at the request Kathryn began listing off the reasons to join, one of which was her future with Marcus. She never said anything about her being pregnant but Annette had wondered if she knew. Thinking back Annette was amazed Kathryn hadn't said anything. As she walked out of the townhouse she realized perhaps Kathryn wasn't all evil after all. 

****** 

"So do you want the lasagna or the salad?" 

Kathryn who was sitting poised on her bed cocked at eyebrow as if saying the choice was fairly obvious. Without a word she grabbed for the salad in the plastic container. She stared down at the leafy vegetables but did not make a move to start eating. 

Sebastian who took a seat beside her on the bed started to eat his lasagna but then noticed Kathryn staring at her food with little interest. This wasn't terribly surprising seeing as she barely ate anything over the past week. Ever since the incident with Joshua Sebastian hadn't left her side. He had been taking care of her day and night but there was little change. The old Kathryn seemed completely lost in the shell of the girl he loved. 

"Kathryn" he prodded trying to keep his irritation at bay. "You have to eat. The doctor said you have to-" 

"I don't give a shit what the doctor said" she barked tossing the salad to the ground. "I'm not hungry." 

With a sigh Sebastian bent down and picked the plastic container up. "You know if starvation is a new form of diet for you I don't think it's going to work" he teased. Perhaps he could get her to at least crack a smile. However Kathryn just looked away from him disinterestedly. Moving closer to her he wrapped an arm around her and whispered in her ear "please Kathryn just eat a little something. Maybe it will make you feel better." 

With a tired sigh she reached for the salad and popped some croutons into her mouth. "Happy?" she asked with a mouth full. 

Sebastian laughed "that's my girl." 

When Kathryn at last gave him a small smile for a moment he thought she might be coming back to him. On instinct he leaned over and kissed her. It lasted only a half a second before Kathryn jumped away from him. Recoiling back on the bed she hissed "what are you doing?" 

"I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't have" 

"No you shouldn't" Kathryn whispered as she got off the bed and moved away from Sebastian. Looking away from him she demanded "what are you doing here?" 

Sebastian was surprised by the question but even more surprised at her sudden anger. The kiss had been a mistake but Kathryn was acting as if he was going to try and rape her or something. "All I was trying to do was make you feel better." 

"Don't you mean make yourself feel better?" 

Shaking his head he asked "what are you talking about?" 

"Oh please we both know the only reason you're here is because you want to fuck. You think bringing me dinner and being at my beck and call will make me feel obligated to go to bed with you." 

"Of course not!" Sebastian yelled as he got to his feet. "I would never try to get you in bed. God how can you even think that!?" 

Turning away from him she told him quietly "I want you to leave." 

"What?" 

"I don't want you around anymore. This is hard enough without you being around me twenty four seven. You're not helping me Sebastian you're just making it worse so leave." 

For once Sebastian didn't give in to her demand. Instead he told her simply "no." 

Kathryn spun around "what do you mean no? I asked you to leave." 

"I know what you're doing" he told her. "You think that by breaking things off with me it will make things easier not on you but on me. Well it won't, the only thing that gets me through this is being with you and I know you feel the same way." 

"Get out" she ordered him. "Just get out! I don't want to be with you anymore!" 

Sebastian shook his head "no I don't believe you!" 

Tears were starting to well up in Kathryn's eyes as she desperately tried to wipe them away. "I don't love you anymore Sebastian. I can't love anyone so just leave me alone! Move on with your life, go be with some girl who isn't broken!' 

Sebastian grasped her by the arms gently as he realized for the first time that he too was starting to tear up. Shaking his head adamantly he told her "you aren't broken! Do you hear me, you're not! And I don't want anyone else, there's only you. Just me and you Kathryn, always. I can't be with anyone else!" 

"Stop it" she sobbed pulling out of his embrace. "Please just go. If you truly love me just leave and never come back. Please Sebastian, please just go." 

As she cried Kathryn sank back against the bed her slender body quivering. Sebastian wanted to tell her no, he would never leave her, never but he couldn't bring himself to force himself on her. There was no way he would break things off with her even if that's what she claimed to want but he would leave her alone. For now anyway. 

****** 

Joshua's body surfaced from the Hudson River three weeks later. According to the police investigation he had committed suicide. Apparently he shot himself and then collapsed in to the river. There was a suicide note left in his bedroom at home and his ex girlfriend, the prestigious headmasters daughter confessed that he had threatened to kill himself the night before. By appearances Joshua looked to be just another unsatisfied poor little rich boy. 

When the police arrived on Kathryn's doorstep with the disturbing news she played up the destroyed ex-girlfriend bit and let it slide that they broke up only a few days after he killed himself, thus giving him even more motive. As soon as the cops left however she let out a sigh of relief that she had been holding in ever since that night Sebastian disappeared. Just as she asked the tribunal had done it's job and made sure no one but Joshua be implicated in his death. 

The funeral was held the following week and although Kathryn would rather gargle glass than attend she knew she had to. As Joshua's former girlfriend of three years it was expected of her that she attend. Although she hadn't been back at school (thanks to a forged doctors note that said she was having surgery) it wasn't on account of her appearance. Her bruises had all but healed and Kathryn was able to hide her scar with make up. However she hadn't wanted to go back on the chance that she would run into Sebastian. 

She had missed him terribly over the past weeks but she knew she had to keep him away. He deserved so much better than her and Kathryn was sure he would realize that soon enough even if he didn't now. She hadn't seen him since she ordered him to leave but she knew he was lurking about. Sebastian had sent flowers and other assorted trinkets to the house along with the occasional note telling her to take her medication. There had also been a few times when Kathryn had noticed him from her bedroom window, standing across the street watching her. She pretended not to notice him but felt safe some how knowing he was out there. 

On the day of the funeral Kathryn wore a simple back suite and a black hat she hoped would hide her face a little bit. The ceremony was originally planned to be held outside but it was snowing out and far too cold to gather out doors. Instead mourners, which included Joshua's family and a good many of his friends gathered into St. Timothy's. 

As she entered the large cathedral Joshua's mother Viviane approached her "oh darling I'm so glad you're here." 

Kathryn forced herself to be polite and offered the women a fake smile of sympathy and a hug. "Of course where else would I be" she answered flatly. "I'm so very sorry for you loss." 

"Oh I know dear" she sighed. "My Joshua loved you so much. You know he often talked about marrying you." 

Kathryn nodded trying her best to hold back the vomit that wanted to spew forward. "Yes I know." 

"Well I have to go say a few words to the reverend. I'll talk to you after the ceremony darling, we'll catch up." 

As the older woman disappeared down the aisle Kathryn slowly followed searching a place to sit. Looking towards the front she noticed Annette and Marcus standing in one of the first pews. They smiled and waved but Kathryn didn't go over. She simply nodded and took a seat in the back as she waited for the sermon to be done with. 

Luckily it didn't last long and Kathryn was able to tune most of it out. A few people spoke about what a great guy Joshua was including some of the tribunal members. Kathryn had of course instructed them to do so citing it would look strange it none of his friends wanted to talk about him. The few who spoke babbled on with phony kind words and then as they headed back to their seats they looked over at her and nodded as if hoping for her approval. 

As the ceremony ended with some sappy song playing the mourners slowly made their way out of the church. Kathryn had planned on being the first one out but she found herself glued to her seat unable to get up and leave. As they passed Marcus stopped and greeted her "hey Kathryn, are you coming to the thing at the Kensington's?" 

"I'm not sure" she replied distractedly. 

"All right" he said obviously worried about her "well I'll talk to you later." 

Kathryn remained seated in the back pew until everyone left the church. The reverend left for the back room as well leaving Kathryn alone with only Joshua's dead body as company. Staring at the long black casket covered in flowers she slowly got to her feet and walked to the front. It had been an open casket funeral and Kathryn knew right away she didn't want to see Joshua again but she couldn't help it. She wanted one last look at him. 

Stepping up to the black box she peered inside and shuddered as she looked down on her tormentor. He looked exactly the same. Almost as if any minute he could pop up awake and attack her once again. Staring into his face Kathryn couldn't help but flash back to that night. A shiver coursed through her body as she hissed at him aloud "I wish it had been me that shot you." 

"Yes but I have a better aim" 

Kathryn spun around at the sound of the familiar voice and found Sebastian sitting in the front pew, a half smile on his handsome face. A feeling of relief washed over her as she saw him. "Sebastian what are you doing here?" 

"Why do you think? I came for you" 

She looked away from him and back to the casket. "Suicide is such a tragic thing" she snickered morbidly. 

Sebastian stood beside her and looked down at Joshua. "I have to admit your little group does good work. I never would have thought to make it look like a suicide." Reaching out he gently touched her face and remarked "your face looks a lot better. How does it feel?" 

"It hurts" she replied. 

Sebastian knew she wasn't just talking about her face and he ached to make her feel better. Moving closer to her he whispered "Kathryn" 

"I have to get going" she told him as she brushed past him and hurried down the isle. 

"Do you honestly think I'm just going to give up on you that easily?" 

Kathryn stopped in her tracks and turned back to face him. With a tired sigh she replied "you need to. Sebastian you have to let me go. You deserve better than me." 

"Better than you?" he spat. "What the hell are you talking about?" 

"I'm damaged" 

"Well fuck Kathryn we're all damaged. What makes you so god damn special?" 

"You know why!" Shaking her head in frustration she told him "things can't be like they were before Sebastian. I can't...I'm not ready to sleep with you yet. I don't know if I ever will be." 

To Kathryn's great astonishment Sebastian tossed back his head and laughed at this. "It that what this is all about? You're pushing me away because you think all I want from you is sex? Jesus Kathryn I don't care anything about that." 

"Yeah right" she huffed as she turned away from him. 

He forced her back around and replied sternly "I don't love you because of the sex Kathryn. I mean I won't lie to you, it is appealing and I do miss not getting to touch you and feel you but I can wait, even if it never happens again. I'm in love with you Kathryn not because of how you are in bed but because of who you are. Your strength, your cleverness, your attitude and okay your beauty" he admitted with a sly smile. "That's what I love about you. Nothing that Joshua did can take that away." 

Kathryn let out a defeated sigh as she walked past him towards the casket. "You know I loved Joshua. He might have never truly loved me but I loved him. For all those same reasons you love me and more. Most of all though I thought he was my equal. When I met Joshua I thought I met my match but then things changed." 

"What?"  


She looked back at him "I met you. God I hated you so much at first. You were arrogant, spoiled, ruthless, brilliant and annoyingly gorgeous. You got under my skin so much but I could never figure out the exact reason why. Then one day it occured to me, I hated you because you were just like me. You were my true equal, not Joshua. He never challenged me like you did, never drove me crazy, he never looked at me the same way you do. You look at me with love he looked at me like a trophy. I never realized the difference before but I do now." 

Sebastian smiled at he came up behind her and put a gentle hand on her waist. Bending down he whispered to her "then stop pushing me away. Let me love you and take care of you." 

"You deserve better than what I have to offer you" she whispered her voice breaking. 

He smiled faintly "what makes you think I have anything to offer you outside the bedroom?" 

Kathryn smiled slightly as she looked up at him "I love you Valmont." 

"I know" he whispered. 

Slowly she leaned up and kissed him softly on the mouth. It was a quick kiss but a definite promise for the future. As they pulled away she asked him "can you take me home now?" 

Sebastian didn't reply he simply nodded and took her by the hand. He lead her outside where it was snowing heavily and there was only one limo lined up by the side walk. As they slid into the warm car Kathryn curled up against Sebastian feeling for the first time in weeks completely and totally at ease. More than anything though she felt safe. Never in her life, not with her parents or with Joshua did she ever feel that way. Laying beside Sebastian Kathryn felt completely secure in the knowledge that he would always be there for her. He would always watch after her just as she would always watch over him. 

Epilogue Coming Soon 


	15. Epilogue: No Apologies, No Regrets

**The Tribunal******

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**Epilogue**

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**_No Apologies, No Regrets_**

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**__**

Sebastian was completely surrounded. He could feel the presence of forty or so of his classmates but he could not see them. The room was totally dark and someone had slipped a cloth mask over his eyes. Some where in the distance chamber music was playing but other than that the room was silent. None of this would have bothered Sebastian so much if it wasn't for the fact that he was completely naked as well. 

_The things we do for love_. 

He was growing ever more irritated as the seconds went on and no one said anything. He just knew they were all enjoying getting this opportunity to ogle him. Sebastian desperately wanted to ask if they were done yet but before he could say a word he felt something sharp pressing against his abdomen. It didn't cut into his skin but rather glided down his stomach until it rested against another scar. A mark that had been started but never finished. 

"Bringing back memories Valmont?" Kathryn, her voice whispered in his ear teasingly and he knew then it was she holding the knife to him. Sebastian began to relax then as he delighted in her delicate touch. He smirked in response to her question but his smile soon disintegrated when he felt the knife slice into his skin and slowly cut into him. 

Sebastian grit his teeth to resist calling out. He certainly wasn't going to show fear in front of this lot. No instead he acted as if nothing happened while droplets of blood dripped down his leg. 

"You have completed almost all of the necessary tasks. Are you ready for the final step?" Kathryn asked her voice sounding surprisingly formal. 

"Yeah, sure" he sighed. 

"Good" she replied sharply. Sebastian could hear the annoyance in her voice. Obviously he was suppose to be taking this whole thing a lot more serious than he was. 

A moment later he felt Kathryn slip her hand into his. "Follow me upstairs and we'll finish your initiation" she instructed. 

Since he still couldn't see very well, or really at all Sebastian had to let Kathryn lead him upstairs. Luckily he was able to make it to the second floor without falling on his face. When he heard a door opened he obediently followed her inside. "Okay now what?" he asked. 

"You aren't suppose to speak until I tell you to" she teased. 

"Can I at least take this fucking mask off?" 

"I don't know" her breathy voice whispered in his ear as her fingers caressed his chest. "I rather like you with it on." 

"Kathryn..." 

"Just a second" 

Sebastian could hear buttons being undone and the sound of heavy material hitting the ground. No longer able to hold back his curiosity he pulled the fabric from his eyes and found Kathryn standing before him in just a tiny bra and panty set. He looked her over and smirked "perhaps joining the tribunal won't be so bad after all." 

Kathryn moved closer to him, wrapping her slender arms around his neck. "There's one final part of the initiation." 

"What's that?" 

"I'm suppose to ravish you." Grasping him by the back of the neck she pulled him down for a kiss. Sebastian eagerly responded as the two tumbled back into the large canopy bed. They kissed hungrily, their bodies moving against each over desperate to relieve the tension that was building between them. As soon as he started touching her Sebastian became instantly hard but it was all the more painful because he knew nothing would come of it. 

It was nearly six months after the night Kathryn was raped and Joshua killed. During that time the two of them had become closer than ever. However they had yet to go any further than kissing which Sebastian was okay with. He knew she wasn't ready yet for anything more and he didn't want to pressure her in any way. Yet he'd be lying if he said he didn't miss sleeping with her. It wasn't just the sex he missed but the intimacy of being inside her. 

Still Sebastian was quite thankful for what he had. It had taken time but his Kathryn had finally come back to him. Little by little she started returning to her typical bitchy, haughty self which he loved. After Joshua's murder was definitely ruled a suicide (thanks in part to two former tribunal members now working for the NYPD and the DA's office) she slowly started to get back into her tribunal duties. 

Kathryn also started her one woman assault to get him to join. Sebastian of course resisted at first but then the inevitable happened and he caved into her. He was no longer afraid she would try to control him so he agreed to join...one month before they were to graduate. This as he expected pissed Kathryn off greatly but she would take what she could get. 

Now as they continued to make out and Sebastian tried to ignore the throbbing pain emulating from his groin he tried to figure out a way to relieve himself without pressuring Kathryn. Just when he was about to pull away however she murmured to him between kisses, "I want you to fuck me." 

Sebastian pulled away not quite sure he heard her right. "You want to what?" 

"You heard me" she replied "I want to make love to you." 

He regarded her with stupefied confusion. Did she really want this or was she just doing it to pay him back for finally joining the tribunal? "Kathryn you don't have to. I mean I'm fine and I don't-" 

She placed a finger over his mouth quieting him. "I want this, I want you. I miss having you inside me Sebastian." 

"Well I miss being there but...I don't want to hurt you." 

"You won't" she assured him. "Now quit being a pussy about it or I'll just have to go downstairs and find another willing guy." 

"Not fucking likely" she snickered as he bent back down to kiss her. Gently he made his way back down her body. Slowly he removed her undergarments and proceeded to kiss every part of her he could get his mouth on. 

As Sebastian played with her firm breasts Kathryn reached down and tugged on her hair. "I'm ready" she murmured. 

He moved back up her body and kissed her once again. Gently he spread her legs and guided himself towards her entrance. Sebastian pulled away from her mouth so he could watch her as he slowly entered her body. As he started to push in Kathryn winced and he immediately stopped. Her eyes opening she ordered "go on, please." 

Sebastian obeyed and with as much gentleness as possible he slid all the way inside of her. The sensation was just as he remember but better. In fact it was taking all his self control to not cum right there, but no he held off. He wanted to make this as enjoyable for her as possible. Before he started moving he asked her "are you okay?" 

"Yes" she breathed "I won't break, I promise." 

"I know" 

****** 

"I can't believe she finally got him to join" Annette mused as she stared up at the second floor bedroom Kathryn and Sebastian had disappeared into earlier. 

"I knew she would eventually" Marcus confided as he handed her a bottle of water. "Leave it to Valmont to wait for the last possible second though." 

Annette nodded "well Kathryn seems to be feeling better these days. I mean I was wondering if her and Sebastian would be able to stay together after everything they went through." 

"Yeah well I think you forget who you're talking about. Their not exactly the most morally sound people. I don't think Joshua's death affected them as much as you think." 

Annette looked up at him, ready to rebut his statement but she quickly curbed her tongue. For a moment she almost forgot about Marcus's ignorance towards everything that happened that awful night. He didn't know about Kathryn's rape and he never would, at least from Annette anyway. She had promised to never speak of it to him and she never had. 

"What is it?" he asked. 

"Nothing" she smiled mysteriously. "You're probably right." 

Marcus walked over and helped her up from her chair. Running his hand down her protruding belly he said "enough about Kathryn and Sebastian, what about you? Are you feeling okay? Are you tired? We can leave if you want." 

Annette grinned at how protective he was being. You would think she'd be used to it after six months but she still found him concern and protectiveness for her and their child charming. "I'm fine" she assured him "we both are." 

A few days after the funeral Annette had finally told Marcus about her pregnancy. As she expected he was shocked and then worried. She could tell he was more than a little apprehensive about becoming a father and even though he never said she knew at first he probably wanted her to get an abortion. Annette had of course considered that option. After all she was still quite young not to mention still in high school. However she found she was already becoming attached to the child growing inside her and she knew she couldn't give him or her up. So she told him flat out she was having the baby but assured him that didn't mean he had to be responsible for it. 

Marcus had been quick to tell her other wise though. After realizing she would have the baby with or without his blessing he had proclaimed he would do anything for her and the baby. He had lived up to the promise in full. When ever Annette needed anything weather it be moral support for when she told her father or even midnight cravings he was there for her. 

Now as they stood in the midst of the typical Friday night tribunal party they held onto each other as if they were the only two people in the room. "There was something I needed to talk to you about" Marcus told her as he grasped her right hand in his. Annette was staring up at him so intently she hadn't even realized he'd slipped something on her finger. "Or rather ask you" he murmured. 

Feeling the sudden weight on her hand she looked down and saw and sizable diamond ring now attached to her finger. Staring at the rather expensive piece of jewelry she gasped "oh my god." 

Marcus grinned "I'm not really the get-down-on-one-knee sort of guy, but what do you say? You want to marry me?" 

There was really only one answer she could give him. Throwing her arms around him Annette let out a loud, exuberant "yes!" 

****** 

"Leave it to Blondie to fuck up a perfectly good evening" Kathryn sneered as she looked down at the chaos that was happening below. 

Coming up behind her Sebastian slid an arm around her waist and replied "you're so sentimental Kathryn." 

"I mean it" she hissed looking back at him. "This night was suppose to be about your initiation into the tribunal. But of course that little bitch has to go and make it about her." 

"Oh give it up!" Sebastian laughed. "I know you don't have her as much as you claim to. In fact if I had to guess I bet you even admire Annette a little bit. You just don't want the others to see you look weak." 

"I do not admire her" Kathryn huffed as she focused her attention back down at the party below. They had just finished making love after months of being apart physically. It had been perfect just as Kathryn imagined it would be...that it until they heard the cheering and sudden squeals of excitement coming from the party. Curious they pulled themselves from the bed and observed from the balcony as their fellow tribunal members celebrated the new engagement of Annette and Marcus. 

As Kathryn watched the girls gather around Annette to admire her ring she couldn't help but admit to herself that perhaps Sebastian had been some what right in his assessment of her feelings towards Annette. She didn't really hate her and as time moved on she saw that perhaps she really was good enough for Marcus. The two had both been accepted to Harvard, they had a baby on the way and now they were getting married. Kathryn couldn't help but be a little envious but she would never admit that to Sebastian. 

"Why would anyone want to get married at this age anyway?" she asked. 

"Don't ask me" Sebastian snickered. He kissed her neck and teased "don't be expecting any proposals from me anytime soon." 

Kathryn smiled "why not?" 

Laughing Sebastian grasped her hand in his and led her back to the bedroom. "I joined the tribunal. One sacrifice at a time baby." 

~ THE END ~ 


End file.
